Cullen Bunn’s new horror comic LAMENTATION brings terror to center stage

Oni Press has announced a new horror comic from the legend of Oni Cullen Bunn and rising star Arjuna Plumini, I lament. The first issue will be the first of three 48-page double issues that will tell a chilling story about the intersection of shadow and light, dream and nightmare, life and death. Here is the official synopsis:

After weeks of grueling rehearsals, a new production is about to kick off at the famed Requiem Theatre: Razide’s Lament, three acts of gothic horror set within a haunted castle…with a story that some say is more than just a fantasy. Under the strict rule of a dedicated but temperamental director, the script seems to be ever-changing and, even more mysteriously, our lead actress found herself in the role of a lifetime without even an audition. Her big debut is fast approaching and, with it, a barrage of razors into the night that will terrify audiences and actors alike. There is no exit, no escape, and when the curtain finally rises, Razide himself will take center stage to cross the threshold into the unholy darkness that lies just beyond…

Reading that synopsis and looking at the art two different works come to mind, The Phantom of the Opera and stories about the Lovecraftian elder god The King in Yellow. More or less, both are about these mysterious figures totally dedicated and more than crazy about their art. This too seems to focus on a protagonist like Phantom does, but I definitely have a feeling we’ll be diving more into horror than the illicit King in Yellow stories. Indeed, Cullen said of the story,

One of the great things about horror is that there are so many different flavors. Cosmic horror. Body horror. Horror comedy. Cutters. Action-horror. With LAMENTATION, I get to play into the realms of surreal terror and gothic mystery… …Here we have a story that unfolds in not just one world, not just two, but many. The hapless actors of Razide’s Lament find themselves catapulted from one nightmare to another, some desperately trying to find a way out, some hoping to understand the situation in which they are trapped, and some simply abandoning their sanity to the whims of this supernatural. play and metaphysical theatre. I’m thrilled for readers to experience this story because it will surprise them, haunt them, and leave them thinking about it long after the final curtain has fallen. In many ways, I feel like I haven’t written only about Razide here. It feels more like he’s unleashing it on the world.

Honestly, from that quote this comic sounds really good. I will also be sharing some of our first looks at the art as it looks so impressive. I really like the covers of the first issue, the drawings are really well done by Maan house, Kyle HotzAND Yanick Paquette. I particularly like the cover of Hotz, the second image below, it seems to set the tone for the comic perfectly. If you want to read it when it comes out, you’ll find it on the shelves during Free Comic Day, May 3, 2023.