While Marvel has certainly dipped their toes into some terrifying stories in the past, they’re really committing to the bit this time. The comics publisher just announced the Midnight Universe, a new publishing line that puts your favorite superheroes at the center of some of the most haunting stories they’ve ever told, beginning this fall.
The series begins on August 5 with Midnight X-Men #1, written by Jonathan Hickman, with art by Matteo Della Fonte and a cover by Dike Ruan. In this new horrific reimagining of our favorite mutants, they no longer fight for justice, but hunger for blood, fighting against vampire covens with humans caught in the crossfires.
Then comes Midnight Fantastic Four in September. Featuring a story by Benjamin Percy and art by Kev Walker, the second installment of the new series features an “obsessive scientist [delving] into the secrets of the universe perhaps best left unknown to mankind, leaving himself and three others warped in strange and horrifying ways. What horrible secrets lie in the new dimensions they have discovered? And can humanity survive the discovery?”
And finally, in October, Midnight Spider-Man will grace the shelves of comic stores everywhere, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Scie Tronc. Rather than spider-inspired superpowers, Midnight’s version of Peter Parker is transformed into a grotesque spider hybrid by Oscorp, and must embrace his terrifying new form to stop them.
“From the original New Universe to two Ultimate Universes, Marvel has a long history of creating and inspiring bold worlds filled with unforgettable characters and fresh ideas that feel new yet recognizable at the same time,” says Marvel’s Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski. “With the new Midnight line, we’ve given some of our most outstanding creators the opportunity to delve into the darkest corners of their imaginations and birth some of the creepiest, most terrifying takes on the Marvel Universe you’ve ever seen.”
Each Midnight issue will also feature a special cloaked cover, with the full design partially obscured until readers turn the page. With the exception of each first issue, the full artwork will be concealed, with only the bravest readers able to see what lies beyond.
“The work we’re doing right now on the Midnight line feels like history being made,” Johnson said. “We’re all bringing creator-owned sensibilities to our projects, we’re redefining boundaries, we’re reinventing these timeless characters in a way that’s never been done. Midnight is nothing like the main line, nothing like the Ultimate line. You will see things in these books that shock you.”
Midnight X-Men #1 hits shelves on August 5, and is available for pre-order now.
