IDW Dark just revealed Smile: For the Camera, a new comic expanding one of our favorite horror universes, and we’re already freaking out a little (in the best way).

Smile: For The Camera #1
Publisher: IDW Dark
Writer: Hannah Rose May
Artist: Miriana Puglia
Colorist: Dearbhla Kelly
Cover Artist: Skylar Patridge
Release date: February 2026

Written by Hannah Rose May with art by Miriana Puglia, Smile: For the Camera takes the chilling world of Smile into new territory. Set in the early 2000s, the story follows a group of international models in New York during Fashion Week as they’re hunted by the Smile Entity. 2000s horror energy mixed with the ruthless modeling world? That combo already sounds like a perfect setup for something creepy, stylish, and totally unsettling.

We absolutely love the original Smile movie (it’s one of our favorite modern horror films) and even though we had mixed feelings about the sequel, the concept still gives us chills. If you haven’t watched them, the Smile films follow a supernatural curse that drives its victims to terrifying, self-destructive acts while spreading from person to person. So a comic exploring new sides of that world instead of rehashing the same story feels like a really smart move. And Hannah Rose May feels like the perfect choice to write this. We loved her horror storytelling in Rogues’ Gallery and The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, so knowing she’s behind this one makes us extra confident it’ll be twisted in all the right ways. The cover for issue #1 is already giving us that creepy vibe that fits the franchise perfectly.

And this is part of IDW Dark’s growing horror line, which has quickly become one of the things we’re most excited about for 2026. Between this, A Quiet Place, and their other new horror titles, it’s clear they’re building something special for fans like us who live and breathe this genre.

Smile: For the Camera #1 hits comic shops this February. We’ll be first in line… smiling the whole time (but, you know, the creepy kind).