Orla! is a series that hooked me immediately by turning everyday dating frustration into something funny… and a bit scary.
Orla!
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Writer: John Lees
Artist: Sally Cantirino
Colorist: Dearbhla Kelly
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Release dates: August – December 2025
Orla! is written by John Lees, a creator whose work we already loved, especially Hotell and The Nasty, two horror series that left a (very) strong impression on us. Knowing his ability to mix character driven storytelling with discomfort and sharp ideas is exactly why we were curious about this book. Lees is an award-winning writer from Glasgow, Scotland, and by his own account he’d wanted to work with Sally Cantirino for years before Orla! finally made it happen.
The art is by Sally Cantirino, who also worked on some covers for The Nasty and illustrated several great Vault Comics series like Human Remains, and her visual storytelling really elevates Orla!‘s shifts between romance and horror.
What Is Orla! About?
The series follows Orla Bard, a lonely but thoughtful woman trying to survive the modern dating scene in Seattle. Orla has a secret called The Ick, a monster living inside her that violently takes over whenever her emotions spiral out of control. Over time, she starts using this curse to eliminate the worst men she encounters, turning bad dates into something far more permanent. Things become complicated when she finally meets someone she truly connects with, forcing her to confront whether intimacy, trust, and her inner monster can ever coexist. Across the five issues, the story slowly expands, adding outside pressure, unexpected attention, and a few sharp turns that completely reshape what Orla!‘s world really is…
What Worked
What really hooked me early on was how fun and uncomfortable this series is about dating. Those first issues perfectly capture that creeping tension of bad dates, awkward moments, and that feeling of being pushed too far. The horror works so well because it is rooted in situations that feel painfully familiar, and I loved how unapologetic the comic is about it. There is also a surprisingly horny energy running through the story, especially when desire becomes dangerous instead of romantic. That mix of attraction, fear, and loss of control made the horror feel sharper and more personal than I expected.
As the series goes on, Orla! becomes much more emotional and human. Once real feelings enter the picture, everything gets messier in the best way. I really appreciated how the story takes its time with guilt, confusion, and intimacy, even when things go completely off the rails. There is a major plot turn later on that genuinely caught me off guard, the kind that makes you stop for a second and rethink everything that came before. By the final issue, I was fully on board with where the story went, and that ending felt bold and incredibly satisfying.
Old Romance Comics Meet Modern Horror
Part of what makes Orla! work so well is how deliberately it plays with the romance comic tradition instead of just borrowing horror trappings for shock value. Cantirino leaned on old-school romance comics for the book’s visual language, and it shows, right down to her covers, each one a loving riff on a classic romance comic cover, swapping out the dreamy sighs and stolen glances for something far bloodier. That choice gives the whole series a kind of visual wink, you know exactly what genre this is supposed to look like before you know how badly it’s about to betray that expectation.
Dearbhla Kelly’s colors lean into that same contrast, warm and inviting for Orla’s actual dating life, then shifting into something colder and more clinical the moment The Ick takes over. Kelly has colored horror books like The Dead Lucky and Bad Karma before, so that tonal pivot clearly isn’t new territory for her. Lucas Gattoni, whose lettering also appears on XO Manowar, keeps the dialogue readable even on the pages trying to be funny, romantic, and horrifying all at the same time, which is a tightrope walk this book is asking for constantly.
Final Thoughts
Orla! is a smart, funny, and sharp series that turns modern dating anxiety into a monster story that really, really sticks with you. The trade paperback will be out in March 2026!
More Mad Cave Studios Horror
If Orla! worked for you, we’ve covered a few other Mad Cave series worth a look. Look Into My Eyes mixes small-town horror with a social media conspiracy angle and QR-code lore. The Slasher’s Apprentice follows a true-crime podcaster who apprentices under a legendary slasher, and it’s just as darkly funny as it sounds. And Dark Pyramid takes readers deep under Alaska’s Mt. Denali chasing a missing streamer and an ancient conspiracy.
FAQ
Is Orla! worth reading? Yes, especially if you like your rom-coms with a genuinely unhinged horror streak running through them.
Do you need to read anything before Orla!? No. It’s a standalone five-issue miniseries with no required reading beforehand.
Who is writing and drawing Orla!? John Lees writes the series, with art by Sally Cantirino, colors by Dearbhla Kelly, and letters by Lucas Gattoni.
Is Orla! a one-shot, miniseries, or ongoing series? It’s a five-issue miniseries, running from August to December 2025.
When is the trade paperback out? The collected edition is set for March 2026.
