IMAGE COMICS RELEASES ARTWORK TEASER FOR ‘HERETIC’

Charlie Adlard (Walking Dead) and crime novelist Robbie Morrison have teamed up again for a standalone graphic novel, coming in October 2024. Heretic, a Renaissance-period murder mystery, is a black-and-white story described as Sherlock Holmes meets The Name of the Rose.

Image: Image Comics

The story of Heretic is a historical fiction about the controversial polymath, Cornelius Agrippa. Set in 1529, the city of Antwerp is ravaged by a macabre series of killings. The knight, doctor, lawyer, and reputed occultist Cornelius Agrippa and his young pupil Johan Weyer are forced to investigate by the all-powerful Inquisition. Before too long, they are plunged into a maelstrom of murder, madness, and magic.

Historically Agrippa was the first man to successfully defend a woman accused of witchcraft. Afterward, he was condemned as heretical by the Inquisition. He is also recognised as an influence for Victor Frankenstein’s character in Mary Shelley's classic novel. This makes him an intriguing character for crime drama, especially in a time when science was fighting for relevance in a world still bound and explained by religious doctrine.

Both creators have expressed an eagerness for this project, and to work with each other again, which is always a good sign for a quality book.

'It’s great to be working with my old writing friend Robbie again—like slipping into a warm bath of pure creativity! Surely that’s recommendation enough to read our wonderful book…' said Adlard.

Morrison added: 'Heretic is a story I've wanted to tell for many years and Charlie is the perfect collaborator for this tale of murder, magic, and madness. His art oozes atmosphere, beautifully conjuring up the Renaissance world, the larger-than-life Holmesian character of Cornelius Agrippa, the horrors of the Inquisition, and a creeping sense of supernatural dread.'

Image: Image Comics

Heretic (ISBN: 9781534340466) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, October 16 and at independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, October 29.

Heretic will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

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