Halloween may be over, but that hardly means the flow of new horror comics has stopped in 2023. Comixology is debuting a very promising new series as part of the Comixology Originals program, one called Parliament of Rooks.
IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of Parliament of Rooks #1. Head down to the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at this visually captivating new horror comic:
Parliament of Rooks is written and drawn by Abigail Jill Harding (Ask For Mercy), with Richard Starkings (Elephantmen) providing additional scripting, editing, lettering and design work. Here's Comixology's official description of the series:
On the first day of Spring, architect Darius Ravenscar wakes from a strange and troubling dream. He dismisses it and attends a masquerade ball in the city of Eborvik thrown by Princess Seraphina, the daughter of King Sitric, Lord of the Four Vales. While there, it becomes clear that something is terribly wrong and Ravenscar finds himself in a precarious predicament that will threaten his long-standing affection for the Princess. As Ravenscar becomes more tormented he searches for the truth, confronting ghosts from the past that haunt him and unraveling the mystery of his family, ultimately becoming torn between two worlds and two minds.
"I have loved Parliament of Rooks since before I read it," said Conspiracy of Ravens writer Leah Moore in a statement. "I was in love the moment I clapped eyes on Abigail's sketches, a dark menacing romantic filigree of feathers and cartilage and glittering eyes and charming wonder that feels like a cool band your big sister was into. What she and Richard Starkings have done is take a f**king great idea and realise it beyond its potential. This is the lovechild of Emily Bronte and Kev O’Neill, palmed off on Kate Bush to raise to adulthood. It feels like a 1970s girls adventure comic, like the best cult anime you buy the wrong region DVD of just to own, like the best bad boyfriend you ever thought looked a bit like Carl McCoy from Fields of the Nephilim, or the imported horror film you watch half of on silent at a party. Parliament of Rooks fangirl for life."
"Like with Mignola's Hellboy, Abigail Harding has created something so singular and so uniquely hers in Parliament of Rooks, that this will start her journey towards being a comic superstar," said Blood Stained Teeth's Christian Ward. "Harking back to older tales but feeling absolutely contemporary and unlike anything else on the shelves, it is the book she was born to make and I would very much like to read 100 issues of it. Take a bow Abigail, this is your dark destiny."
Parliament of Rooks #1 is now available to read on Comixology. Like all Comixology Originals titles, the series will be free to read for subscribers of Comixology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading, and it can also be purchased individually.
In other comic book news, the new Punisher has already killed a major Marvel villain, and Daredevil's Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev are reuniting for a new series called Masterpiece.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
