Lamentation #1 Cover A featured News 

Exclusive: Oni Press Announces Bunn, Susini and Jenkins’s “Lamentation”

By | February 14th, 2023
Posted in News | % Comments

This article has been updated since its publication.

Thanks to Oni Press, we are pleased to reveal writer Cullen Bunn, artist Arjuna Susini (“Made Men”), and colorist Hilary Jenkins (“Grass Kings”) are teaming up on “Lamentation,” a three-issue horror series beginning at the publisher this May. Consisting of double-sized, 48-page issues, the comic tells the story of a young actress who is cast in the lead role of a gothic production… despite not having auditioned for the part. Check out the main cover by Maan House (“Nightfall Double Feature”), the full synopsis, and a preview below:

Cover A by Maan House

After weeks of grueling rehearsals, a new production is set to begin at the famed Requiem Theatre: Razide’s Lament, three acts of gothic horror set inside a haunted castle… with a story that some say is more than mere fantasy. Under the stern rule of a dedicated but temperamental director, the script seems to be ever-changing, and, more mysterious still, our lead actress has found herself cast in the role of a lifetime without so much as an audition. Her grand debut is fast approaching – and, with it, a barrage of razors in the night that will terrorize audiences and actors alike. There is no exit, no escape, and when the curtain finally rises, Razide himself will take center stage to cross the threshold into the unholy darkness that lies just beyond…

Bunn states, “With ‘Lamentation,’ I get to play in the realms of surreal terror and gothic mystery. Here we have a story that takes place not just in one world, not just in two, but in many. The hapless actors in Razide’s Lament find themselves cast from one nightmare to another, some trying desperately to find their way out, some hoping to understand the situation in which they’re trapped, and some simply surrendering their own sanity to the whims of this supernatural play and metaphysical theater. I’m excited for readers to experience this story, because it’s going to surprise them, haunt them, and leave them thinking about it long after the final curtain falls. In a lot of ways, I feel like I didn’t just write about Razide here. It feels more like I’m unleashing him into the world.”

Hunter Gorinson, President and Publisher of Oni Press, adds “Cullen Bunn reigns as one of the comic medium’s most formidable writers of horror and the macabre. As the architect as some of Oni’s greatest and most beloved series – from ‘The Sixth Gun’ to ‘The Damned’ to ‘Helheim’ and beyond – we’re thrilled to welcome Cullen back to the forefront of Oni’s creative vanguard with a series that is as packed with shocks and suspense as it is content. Told in three double-sized issues that mirror the acts of the ruinous theatrical performance within, Cullen and Arjuna have constructed an elaborate, giallo-inspired descent into tension, paranoia, and pain that will leave you guessing until the curtain falls.”

“Lamentation” #1 will be released on May 3, shortly before Free Comic Book Day (May 6), and will retail for $6.99. Cover B will feature art by Yanick Paquette (“Wonder Woman: Earth One”), while Cover C will feature art by Kyle Hotz (“Web of Venom”); a full art variant (1:10) of Maan House’s cover, as well as black-and-white versions of Yanick Paquette (1:15) and Kyle Hotz (1:20)’s covers, will also be available. Now, without further ado, here’s Paquette and Hotz’s artwork, plus the interior preview:

Art by Yanick Paquette
Art by Kyle Hotz

Christopher Chiu-Tabet

Chris was the news manager of Multiversity Comics. A writer from London on the autistic spectrum, he enjoys talking about his favourite films, TV shows, books, music, and games, plus history and religion. He is Lebanese/Chinese, although he can't speak Cantonese or Arabic. He continues to rundown comics news on Ko-fi: give him a visit (and a tip if you like) there.

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