Another new player just joined the fray: Ninth Circle! There is just no stopping people from getting into comics no matter how much we warn them.
But given the players in this one, they knew the danger when they signed on! The new venture is a horror-focused imprint with principals including superstars Garth Ennis, Ram V, Marguerite Bennett, Joe Pruett, and Adam Glass. Although billed as a publisher in this Deadline reveal, Ninth Circle will be published as an imprint at Image Comics, rather like Ghost Machine and the Massive-verse, creator-owned collectives that run under the Image banner. Format-wise, their titles will all be stand-alone issues – beginning middle and end is promised in each outing – and they’ll be double sized as well: perfect bound, magazine trim size (8.5 x 10.875) with a cardstock cover. You’ll want to whip up a few magfile Tjog’s to store these babies!
In addition to the stellar line-up of creators, Ninth Circle includes a solid line-up of business partners: strategic advisor and founder Michael Bogner (SVP of Legal Affairs at ABGO), and company representative David Stone (TFC Management). The lead investor is Kimberly Steward (Manchester By The Sea, Suspiria), and her production company K Period Media will partner with Ninth Circle to produce select titles. (For those keeping score at home, Steward is the sister of Lion Forge/Oni CEO Dave Steward.)
The imprint will launch with Freddie the Fix from Ennis and artist Mike Perkins. It’s billed as “darkly humorous and horrific”….i.e. Garth Ennis-esque. The titular Freddie is a fixer who cleans up after werewolves, vampires, zombies, aliens, bogeymen etc who have run wild in Hollywood. It hits stands on December 11.
“I’ve always been a big horror fan.” said Garth Ennis, co-founder, “With Freddie the Fix, I hope to shock, thrill, and entertain our fans (and maybe give them a laugh or two along the way).”
Ninth Circle takes its name, of course, from Dante’s Inferno, which laid out nine circles of hell. The comics line will only be inspired by such torture, offering “to redefine genre storytelling by combining the visionary creativity and expertise of these incredibly talented storytellers. No capes, no tights, and no romance (unless, of course, that romance includes murder, blood, and mayhem).”
According to Glass, “Ninth Circle is all about embracing the horror genre in all its forms. With Garth’s unparalleled ability to craft unforgettable worlds; Ram, Marguerite and Joe’s daring eye for pushing the boundaries of the medium; and my own experience in storytelling across multiple mediums, we can’t wait to share these stories with fans.”
Future releases include a book by Bennet with art by 2024 Eisner Hall of Fame inductee Jill Thompson (!!!!) a tale by Pruett, illustrated by Butch Guice (The Flash, Winter Soldier and Birds of Prey), and a story by Glass, illustrated by Bernard Chang (X-Men, Deadpool and Superman). More titles from Garth Ennis, Ram V and others are in the pipeline as well for 2025….making this a pretty high falutin’ addition to the comics rack.
Image also released more info on Freddie the Fixer today, so here’s even more art, including
- Cover A by Mike Perkins – Lunar Code 1024IM305
- Cover B 1:10 copy incentive by Marcelo Frusin – Lunar Code 1024IM306
