WHERE MONSTERS LIE #1/ Story by KYLE STARKS/ Art and Cover by PIOTR KOWALSKI/ Colors by VLADIMIR POPOV/ Published by DARK HORSE COMICS

There are monsters in this world, but even monsters need a rest. So where do the killers go between sprees, when the heat is on and they need to lie low? They go to Wilmhurst, a unique planned community catering to psychos of every stripe, from the family of masked murderers to the madman whose soul became trapped in a doll’s body.

Special Agent Connor Hayes barely survived an encounter with a silent slasher at his summer camp. He’s spent years training himself to face his monster, and more besides. Now, Hayes has found Wilmhurst.

God help him and the cops he brought with him.

The first issue of When Monsters Lie is a masterpiece of dark comedy. Kyle Starks’ script makes only a minimal effort to hide its sources, so as to keep the lawyers of the Wes Craven estate at bay. Suffice it to say horror fans will have fun tracing all the characters to their obvious inspirations. Thankfully, Starks’ dialogue sings on the page, and the original premise does much to elevate the story beyond a fanfic wondering “What would happen if Jason and Michael Meyers were neighbors who had to deal with an HOA?”

Piotr Kowalski brings Starks’ script to life with an appropriate level of grit. The monsters are all visually distinctive and the action of the story is well-paced, with even the simple scenes of characters speaking to one another conveying a dark undercurrent of menace. All in all, this is one comic horror fans will want to pick up.

Where Monsters Lie #1 releases on February 1, 2023.