Posted in: Boom, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Oni Press | Tagged: Hello Darkness, siktc, something is killing the children

Hello Darkness #1 is a "Stealth" Something Is Killing The Children #1

Hello Darkness my old friend... Erica Slaughter will be appearing in the first six issues in a new Something Is Killing The Children story.

As Bleeding Cool previously covered, one of Boom Studios' most hotly anticipated launches for the year has to be the horror EC-inspired Hello Darkness.  Launching at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 24th, Boom's star-studded, post-code horror anthology will be going head-to-head with Oni Press' similarly A-list heavy, pre-code inspired EC Comics revitalization in Epitaphs From The Abyss #1.

That's right, these two horror anthology series aren't just dueling it out on the cover of Diamond's Previews catalogue, but releasing in comic stores the very same day. Both series are offering returnability along with other outreach and incentives to entice retailers to take big positions. Might we see a Sharks vs Jets showdown in the main aisle of the San Diego convention centre? Given Boom's Filip Sablik and Matt Gagnon are old chums with Oni's Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn, it seems unlikely, but maybe they'll throw me a bone for a memorable SDCC headline…

At first glance, despite Boom's more dominant market position, nostalgia for EC Comics' 85-year history coupled with Rian Hughes' killer designs might give Epitaphs From The Abyss the advantage in the current direct market, which has been strongly favouring pre-established brands like Skybound's Energon Universe, Dynamite's Thundercats and Space Ghost, and Marvel's Ultimate Universe this year. But Boom has cleverly leveraged their own bit of established fanbase into Hello Darkness in the form of Erica Slaughter.

In addition to new stories and creations from direct market and book industry stars the creative team of Something Is Killing The Children – James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera – will be telling a brand new Erica Slaughter story over the first six issues of Hello Darkness. With Something Is Killing The Children continuing to be one of the biggest and most widely read original franchises in the modern comic store market, and for some more recent fans, their first opportunity to buy an Erica Slaughter appearance with a new #1 on the cover, it should have retailers checking and re-checking their orders leading up to Final Order Cutoff.

In fact, from what I'm hearing, initial orders for Hello Darkness are already the highest Boom has seen in 2024 for a new original series. Even more impressive considering each issue is a double-length 48 page carrying a $5.99 price point… and Boom is not offering any gated incentive covers for this series, something that all the aforementioned pre-branded hits have leveraged to reach their impressive heights.

How much higher will the orders for Hello Darkness #1 climb as retailers and fans alike realize it's a new "stealth" Something Is Killing The Children #1 before Final Order Cutoff on Monday, July 1st? Rest assured, we're keeping a close eye (and ear) on it. The other creators include R.L. Stine, Francesco Francavilla, Garth Ennis, Becky Cloonan, Brian Azzarello, Vanesa R. Del Rey, John Arcudi, Ryan Sook, Cullen Bunn, Sas Milledge, Sarah Gailey, Liana Kangas, Marguerite Bennett, Michael Conrad, Martín Morazzo, Andy Lanning, Trevor Hairsine, Steve Orlando, Genevieve Valentine, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Letizia Cadonici, and Sarah Andersen,

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