We’ve been counting the days for this one, and now that we’ve read it, we’re even more obsessed than we expected.

Exquisite Corpses #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: James Tynion IV
Interior & Cover Artist: Michael Walsh
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Becca Carey
Release date: May 14, 2025

We’ve been excited about Exquisite Corpses since the day it was announced (so much that we wrote about it back in February), and after a long wait, the first issue is finally here.

The series is created by James Tynion IV. If you’ve followed us for more than five minutes, you know we’re big fans of his work on Something Is Killing the Children, The Deviant, W0rldtr33, and more. This time he teams up with Michael Walsh, the brilliant artist behind The Silver Coin and Secret Avengers. Their combined vision delivers a horror concept that feels both cinematic and built for the comics medium.

The concept is instantly compelling. Every five years on Halloween, America’s richest families host a deadly game where twelve of the world’s most dangerous killers are dropped into a small town. This year, it’s Oak Valley, Maine. The goal is simple for the killers: be the last one standing. For everyone else in town, it’s just survive the night. The book wastes no time plunging us into this violent world, introducing us to the secretive elite pulling the strings, the weapons they picked randomly, and the killers they sponsor. Even with all this going on, it never feels rushed or confusing. In fact, it’s impressive how much story is packed into this debut, and we were so grateful that it’s a 64-page issue for just $4.99 (except the polybag variant, which is $6.99).

We were so hyped for this release that we made a TikTok video right after grabbing it from our LCS. We picked up the regular cover, the polybagged variant (more on that in a second), and of course the Jenny Frison variant because her covers are always incredible. That polybagged edition is going to be a recurring thing, each month including a different killer trading card. A full card game is coming in 2026, and you can bet we’re collecting them all. We’re pretty happy we preordered multiple copies since the issue sold out on release day. The story gave us exactly what we wanted: tension and bloody chaos. There’s queer representation, powerful families treating murder like sport, and a new kind of slasher ensemble that feels unique… basically everything to make us love Exquisite Corpses!

From the first few pages, Exquisite Corpses pulls you in with world-building that feels like it’s meant to expand into something much bigger. The rich families, their politics, the weapon selections, and the killers themselves all bring different energy. It’s hard not to imagine this as a TV show or movie franchise. The foundation is just that strong. The way the killers are designed is one of the book’s biggest strengths. Each one feels completely original, with no lazy copy-paste of familiar horror icons. Instead, you get Fox Mask Killer, Rascal Randy in his terrifying rabbit suit, and a whole lineup of slashers who each feel like they could lead their own horror film. We’re including them all in this article so you can meet them yourself.

Michael Walsh’s art is perfect for this kind of book. He uses different techniques to keep things visually intense and unsettling, and that works so well. There’s this sense that every panel was carefully considered, with attention to mood and tone. You can tell this book is designed to be re-read, and we’ve already gone back a couple of times to catch little details we missed.

Issue 2 drops on June 18, and honestly, we already can’t wait. In the meantime, we’ll be re-reading Issue 1, staring at the variant covers, and counting down the days until we find out who will be the next “victims”.