A new horror comic book series–written by Brendan Columbus and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo–will premier in the landmark 300th issue of Heavy Metal, according to SYFY Wire.
The new series, Savage Circus, relates the story of a hamlet called Basin Bay, a small mining town in Ohio that comes under attack by “the most dangerous animals in the world,” said Columbus, the son of writer/director Chris Columbus of Gremlins fame.
Columbus told SYFY Wire that the comic follows the problems experienced when a circus train packed with ferocious animals collected by ringmaster Lewis Savage crashes in the little town. It’s up to Deputy Brady Harrison to contain the wild animals and beat back the horror and bloodshed.
The series is planned for issues No. 300 through 309 of Heavy Metal this summer. The comics then will be collected and published In a graphic novel that is expected to be available for the San Diego Comic-Con in 2021.
Columbus even mentioned the possibility of the series, if successful, being adapted as a movie sometime in the future.
The comic, Columbus said, “started out as an original script I was writing right after I got out of college. I had this idea this thing would never sell. But I loved it.”
Matt Medley of Heavy Metal told SYFY Wire that the way Columbus tells a story is “concise and yet expansive. It’s rare.” The planned graphic novel, he added, “allows the imagination to run rampant.”
Keep reading Horror News Network for updates on the series, the graphic novel and any film adaptation down the road.
