Review: Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of Ghost Boys: The Graphic NovelGhost Boys: The Graphic Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey
Little, Brown Ink (December 2, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for youth, including Ghost Boys; Black Brother, Black Brother; Paradise on Fire; and Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. She is the recipient of many distinguished awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Green Earth Book Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Octavia E. Butler Award. Rhodes is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University. Her novel, Ghost Boys, is now a graphic novel.Continue Reading

Cover Artist Soo Lee on Bride of Rocky Horror

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of Bride of Rocky Horror by Soo Lee
Soo Lee cover for Bride of Rocky Horror

Soo Lee, a Bram Stoker Award–winning cover artist, is one of the talents involved with Bride of Rocky Horror, which is now on Kickstarter. Cemetery Dance spoke with her about her background with Rocky Horror, the franchise’s legacy, and how horror comics have influenced her work.

Be sure to stick around after the interview for a special Bride of Rocky Horror preview!

Continue Reading

Review: Moan by Junji Ito

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of MoanMoan by Junji Ito
VIZ Media (October 2025)
Reviewed by Danica Davidson

Junji Ito, a popular horror manga creator in Japan, has been getting increasingly known in America. More and more of his horror works are being released in English, with the most recent being Moan, a short story collection. The first few stories run on the long end, and then there are a couple of shorter pieces.

Each story shows off Ito’s masterful artwork. He knows both how to draw characters beautifully and how to set a mood. The stories also showcase Ito’s penchant for weirdness, creepiness and mystery.Continue Reading

Review: MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live by MrBallen and Andrea Mutti

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares LiveMrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live by MrBallen and Andrea Mutti
Ten Speed Graphics (September 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Better known as “MrBallen,” John B. Allen is a former U. S. Navy Seal, the founder of the multi-platform content company Ballen Studios, and the creator and host of the popular podcast MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories. Allen uses his platform to give back and founded the MrBallen Foundation with the mission to honor victims and support families of heinous crimes through education, training, and financial support.

Andrea Mutti began his career illustrating DNAction for Xenia Edizioni, Sergio Bonelli Editore, and Star Comics. He’s worked with Marvel, DC, Vertigo, MadCave, Stormking, Dark Horse, IDW, Image, BOOM! Studios, and more. His titles include Maniac of New York, Bunny Mask, Rebels, Batman Eternal, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He’s a member of the National UFO Center and resides in Sarasota, Florida. Continue Reading

Interview: Rodney Barnes on the Dark History of Crownsville

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of CrownsvilleFor Crownsville, a new five-issue comic from Oni Press, creator Rodney Barnes took a cue from his past. The actual Crownsville Hospital Center used to be referred to as the “Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland” and has since shuttered. Barnes talked with Cemetery Dance about his personal connection to the hospital, the dark stories around it, and the importance of knowing history.Continue Reading

Review: The Graveyard Club by R. L. Stine and Carola Borelli

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of The Graveyard ClubThe Graveyard Club by R. L. Stine and Carola Borelli
Boom! Studios (October 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

R.L. Stine, of Columbus, Ohio, is one of the best-selling children’s authors in history. His Goosebumps and Fear Street series have sold more than 400 million copies around the world and have been translated into 32 languages. He has had several TV series based on his work, and two feature films, The Goosebumps Movie (2015) and Goosebumps 2: Hunted Halloween (2018), starred Jack Black as R.L. Stine himself. Just Beyond is his first-ever series of graphic novels. Bob lives in New York City with his wife Jane, an editor and publisher. The Graveyard Club is his newest graphic novel.Continue Reading

E.M. Carroll Has A Guest In The House

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of A Guest in the HouseE.M. Carroll’s horror graphic novel A Guest in the House is out in paperback, and Cemetery Dance is excited to share the a few pages below. The graphic novel, which follows a new wife who becomes suspicious about the death of her husband’s previous wife, won the 2024 LA Times Book Prize. Cemetery Dance spoke to Carroll about being drawn to dark subjects, the book’s inspiration, and the creative process.Continue Reading

Mark Russell on finding the horror in the Thanksgiving holiday

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of Thanksgiving graphic novelThe holiday Thanksgiving is getting a one-shot horror comedy comic from writer Mark Russell and artist Mauricet, named, simply enough, Thanksgiving. Russell describes it as a “metaphor for what our nation is in danger of becoming” and it will hit bookshelves on October 22. Meanwhile, Cemetery Dance spoke to Russell about why he chose to write a horror comic about Thanksgiving, its three covers, and what he hopes readers take away.Continue Reading

Cover Reveal: True Believers #3 by Stephen Graham Jones

banner that reads The Comic Vault

The comic True Believers: Issue #3 — Slashfest by Stephen Graham Jones and Josh Viola takes place at a real horror convention and is coming out on October 13 thanks to Bit Bot Media. One of its variant covers is of Klayton (Celldweller), a musician and cofounder of Bit Bot Media, by artist Matthew Therrien. Cemetery Dance gets to reveal it exclusively here before the comic’s official launch.Continue Reading

Matt Wagner, Kelley Jones, and the Brides of Dracula

banner that reads The Comic Vault

After the graphic novels Dracula: Book I — The Impaler and Dracula: Book II — The Brides, writer Matt Wagner and illustrator Kelley Jones are back with Dracula: Book III — The Count. The third book is currently on Kickstarter, and it’s told from Dracula’s point-of-view. Cemetery Dance spoke with Wagner and Jones about building on the previous books, what research went into this, and how their feelings about Dracula have been affected. Continue Reading

George Northy and Rachele Aragno Unleash YULETIDE’S Christmas Creatures

banner that reads The Comic Vault

George Northy, a writer/producer whose credits include Charmed for The CW, is launching Yuletide, a horror comic about the darker side of the holiday season. While the comic won’t be published until October (by Oni Press), it’s already been acquired by Valhalla Entertainment to develop into a movie. Cemetery Dance spoke with writer Northy and artist Rachele Aragno about working together, what’s going on with Valhalla Entertainment, and how to mix horror with a holiday not generally associated with horror.Continue Reading

Ben Wickey on More Weight: A Salem Story

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of More WeightArtist, writer and animator Ben Wickey has turned the infamous Salem Witch Trials into a graphic novel, titled More Weight, concentrating on the life of Giles Corey, who was pressed to death during the trials. While working on it, Wickey learned that he was the descendant of one of the people hanged as a witch. Cemetery Dance spoke to Wickey about his personal connection to this story, how he did his research, and how he approached adapting history into graphic novel form.

Stick around after the interview for a couple of preview pages from More Weight.

Continue Reading

Review: Spectators by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of ScavengersSpectators by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
Image Comics (September 23, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Brian K. Vaughan is an American comic book and television writer, best known for the comic book series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, Pride of Baghdad, Saga, and Paper Girls. His newest book, Spectators, is a violent, sexual exploration at a voyeurism set against an apocalyptic nightmare.Continue Reading

Preview – MONSTROUS: THE KAIJU ISSUE

banner that reads The Comic Vault

The magazine Monstrous: The Kaiju Issue from Monstrous Books is currently on Kickstarter, and this volume includes a new Konga vs. Gorgo comic, the sci-fi short story “The Colossus From the Crater” by novelist Greg Cox, and a new kanji design from Itaru Kinoshita, the manga creator behind Dinosaur Sanctuary. Cemetery Dance gets an early look at some Monstrous covers.Continue Reading

The Comic Vault: Simon Bournel-Bosson’s Trumpets of Death

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of Trumpets of DeathFrench creator Simon Bournel-Bosson, who has a background in graphic design and artistic creation, is releasing his first comic book in America, Trumpets of Death. Trumpets of Death is about the conflicts that continue to cycle through generations as well as the broken connection people have with the world around us. Bournel-Bosson spoke to Cemetery Dance about his inspiration, why he likes magical realism, and what he hopes readers take away from his work. 

(Interview conducted by Danica Davidson)Continue Reading