Image Comics has announced a new series from the minds of writer James Tynion IV and artist Joshua Hixson titled The Deviant releasing on November 15th. The Deviant is described as a pitch-black holiday horror story featuring a Santa Claus with a horror villain twist. Joined by letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, The Deviant is set to be a nine-issue mini-series with the following teaser:
As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called “Deviant Killer,” who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax.
Speaking on what The Deviant series writer Tynion said ““The Deviant is something a little different…..A dark, focused psychological crime thriller where I get to explore the intersection of my queer identity and a broader scope of cultural transgression and deviance. This is my response to Silence of the Lambs and Jeffrey Dahmer serving as my first real glimpses of my queer identity as a young, closeted Midwestern boy. It’s one of the darkest and most personal stories I’ve ever written. It’s also a story about Christmas.”
Adding on to Tynion’s quote, series artist Hixson said “The Deviant is the kind of book I’ve been wanting to make for a long time. While I’ve been no stranger to the horror genre in my career of making comics, this story scratches a particular itch and is unlike anything I’ve been a part of. And to get to do it with James, Steve, and Hassan at Image Comics has been so creatively rewarding. I’m really excited for people to read it this holiday season.”
The Deviant #1 will be released with main and variant covers by Joshua Hixson. Additionally, variant covers by Martin Simmonds, Andrea Sorrentino, Sean Phillips, Christian Ward, and Lee Bermejo will also be available. Check out a look at the main cover along with a five-page preview of The Deviant #1 below:
The Deviant #1 will be available in comic book shops and digital storefronts on November 15th.
