MILWAUKIE, Ore., (July 18, 2024)— Dark Horse Comics presents Black Hammer: Spiral City, the next series in the Black Hammer universe from Dark Horse Comics. This dystopian story, written by Jeff Lemire (Black Hammer), and illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen (The Sandman), follows a new cast of heroes struggling to survive in a chaotic new world. The first issue will arrive November 2024 and features a cover by Kristiansen and three variant covers by Mike Mignola, Matt Wagner, and Duncan Fegredo.
Black Hammer: Spiral City picks up after The End, following the Second Cataclysm and the rearranging of the universe. Many of its lost heroes have returned, but there is no homecoming parade as anti-superhuman sentiment grows, fueled by recent events and stoked by Malcolm Gold, the former head of T.R.I.D.E.N.T, now running to become Spiral’s new mayor. Making matters worse, Spiral Asylum has shut down with many of its low-risk, mentally ill superhuman inmates being set loose into the streets. With this reshaped Black Hammer Universe as the backdrop, several new stories begin to unfold and intertwine, creating a rich portrait of some lesser-known inhabitants living on the fringes of Spiral City.
“Teaming with one of my all-time favourite artists, Teddy Kristensen, I knew this book needed to be special, said Lemire. “It’s a brand-new era for the Black Hammer Universe. New stories, new characters, and a whole new direction. Black Hammer: The End was the culmination of the last eight years of storytelling, and now Black Hammer: Spiral City is truly a new beginning. It’s both a great jumping on point for curious readers, and a bold new direction for long time fans.”
Kristiansen added, “My first introduction to Jeff’s work was The Underwater Welder and I immediately started reading his other books. Suddenly he is doing Black Hammer with an old comic world friend, Dean Ormston, and I could see he has the same passion and love for superhero comics as I have and a big passion for playing with storytelling, so all my boxes were ticked. Then, out of the blue comes a PM on Instagram asking me if I want to do a project together, which became this book. I hope readers will find the same passion and joy in the book as I had doing it with Jeff.”
Black Hammer: Spiral City #1 (of 7) arrives in comic shops on November 13, 2024 and is now available to preorder at your local comic shop for $3.99.
Dark Horse will also be hosting a signing with Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes at San Diego Comic-Con to celebrate Black Hammer. Stay tuned for more details!