Mad Cave Studios have announced “Soul Taker,” a supernatural new horror series by writers Thomas Sniegoski (“Young Hellboy”) and Jeannine Acheson (“Vampiverse”), with art by Valeria Burzo (“Castle Full of Blackbirds”), coloring by Emilio Lecce, and lettering by Jim Campbell. The comic follows Amarantha (or simply Amara), an old woman who is actually the last of her kind, namely “an ancient species that has lived among us for millennia, feeding on the life energies of humanity.”
Living a peaceful existence in a retirement village, Amara only feeds off enough to continue her ancient existence. But she “has made enemies throughout her long life, and an ancient foe thought long defeated has returned and is out for blood, while a newer threat seeks to capture her for their own nefarious purposes! Now Amarantha must do everything in her power to vanquish her enemies and protect the life she has made for herself.”
Sniegoski, who has worked with Acheson before, says the series sprang from an idea she had of “an old lady aging backwards while living in elderly housing.” She adds, “Amara was born from an innocent conversation between Tom and me about our elderly moms. And now, four years later, Amara’s story is here, about to be unleashed on the world.” It marks Acheson’s first creator-owned comic book series. She says, “I’m so grateful that Mad Cave decided to take a chance on us, and I can’t wait for everyone to meet Amara and the other colorful characters who inhabit her world. A huge thank you is due to the folks at Mad Cave for assembling such a terrific team of professionals to work with us — they all helped bring our story to life, just the way we imagined it.”
Burzo comments, “When I first read the plot for ‘Soul Taker,’ I was thrilled. Soul Taker is a horror story with a romantic and gothic aspect, it has a nostalgic flavor coming from most of its characters. The story is divided between flashbacks dating back between the Renaissance and 1700, the Age of Enlightenment, up to the present day. Amara, the protagonist, has an incredible charm both for her aesthetics and for her story. I am really happy that Mad Cave presented me the task of bringing this special story to images because for me, every chapter is a real journey into a fantastic world.”
“Soul Taker” #1 will be released on July 3, with a main cover by Michael Sta. Maria, a variant by Meghan Hetrick, and a Pride Month cover by Rosi Kampe. Head to Mad Cave’s website to check out an unlettered, four-page preview in the meantime.
