Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: absolute, Benjamin Percy, blade, Darkhold, ghost rider, horror, jonathan hickman, midnight, phillip kennedy johnson

SCOOP: Midnight is Marvel's Absolute Horror Line With Jonathan Hickman

Midnight is Marvel's Absolute Horror Universe with Jonathan Hickman, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy, launching this year

Published Thu, 07 May 2026 10:48:12 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Marvel’s Midnight is an Absolute Horror line, a new universe launching this fall with radical Marvel reimaginings.
Jonathan Hickman, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy are linked to Midnight’s major creative rollout.
The Absolute Horror focus points to Blade, Ghost Rider, Darkhold, Dracula, Morbius and Werewolf By Night.
Midnight is positioned as Marvel’s answer to DC’s Absolute Universe and Vertigo, aiming for Halloween 2026.

Marvel Comics just sent out a PR tease saying very little indeed. "THE LIGHT HAD ITS TURN. Marvel Comics presents MIDNIGHT, a terrifying new universe coming this fall. Stay tuned next week for more information on this all-new publishing line, including series and creative team reveals." Well, Bleeding Cool has some names and some details. Jonathan Hickman, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy, all of whom have signed exclusive deals with Marvel Comics recently. And Midnight is intended to be Marvel's equivalent of both DC Comics' Vertigo line and their Absolute line all in one. Not creator-owned obviously, and using Marvel Comics characters of course, but focusing on the horror side of the equation. We're talking Blade, Darkhold, Ghost Rider, Dracula, Werewolf By Night, Morbius, Spirits Of Vengeance and the like, and the name is a reference to the old Midnight Sons branding for that side of Marvel Comics. Except this will be in its own universe, with big names and radical reworkings of these characters and concepts, as well as various Marvel concepts that have not been revived since their original publications. And all in time for Halloween 2026.

SCOOP: Midnight Is Marvel's Absolute Horror Line With Jonathan Hickman — Midnight from Marvel Comics

It has been noted that Marvel Comics has been outplayed over the past couple of years, with DC Comics launching the Absolute Universe in the wake of Robert Kirkman's Energon Universe at Image/Skybound. A remake of certain characters from scratch with high-profile creators in an iconic, thoroughly thought-through and radical reworking of classic characters in a new continuity for the present day. Marvel's Ultimate line, also developed by Jonathan Hickman, was deliberately intended to last for two years, be told in real time and is now coming to an end. This is what Marvel Comics will be pivoting to next, with Midnight. Maybe consider it the sons and daughters of Midnight Sons, and dealing with the things we find horrific right now…

The Midnight Sons centred on a loose alliance of dark, monstrous, or occult anti-heroes who battled demonic and supernatural threats. The name drew from an ancient order in Marvel lore, the Order of the Midnight Sons, linked to the Spirits of Vengeance fighting entities like Zarathos. The concept launched with the Rise of the Midnight Sons crossover event in 1992, and involved heroes fighting Lilith, Mother of Demons, and her Lilin offspring. Members included Blade, Morbius, Ghost Riders Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze, Nightstalkers and the Darkhold Redeemers, as well as Elsa Bloodstone, Doctor Voodoo, Man-Thing, Moon Knight, Iron Fist, and others. Might this be a way for Marvel Comics to also give us an Absolute Blade in time for a new Blade movie?

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