The year is 1979, and Stewart is a neglected 14-year-old living with his overworked divorced mother in a run-down apartment. He struggles in school, avoiding bullies and cliques, and finds solace in his friendship with Peter, the new kid in town. But as their bond deepens, they enter a world of darkness, turning this Gen X coming-of-age story on its head.
Storm King Comics’ ‘Dark & Twisted’ Imprint Digs Deep as Alienated, Outcast Teens Create THE KILLING HOLE, a New Graphic Novel Debuting July 10
Murder, Revenge and a Lifelong Secret Collide in Steve Niles’
Emotionally Raw, Deeply Nostalgic Exploration of Troubled Friendship
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – In 1979, two troubled teens cross paths, become friends, and embark on a dark journey into terrifying territory in THE KILLING HOLE, a new graphic novel written by Steve Niles, with art by Trevor Denham, that debuts this summer from Storm King Comics’ “Dark & Twisted” imprint.
THE KILLING HOLE, which features colors by Ryan Winn and lettering by Janice Chiang, is an emotionally raw and troubling tale of youthful alienation gone horribly wrong. The new graphic novel will be available July 10, 2024, through direct sales, including at www.StormKingComics.com, and at comic shops; the new title will debut at retail booksellers on July 23. The new book will also be featured at the Storm King Comics booth at San Diego Comic-Con.
Told by Niles (30 Days of Night, Remains) as a mysterious confession by an aging man, THE KILLING HOLE flashes back to 1979. That’s when 14-year-old loner Stewart crosses paths with newly arrived and equally alienated Peter. In their shared disdain for school and mutual love of edgy music, the boys form a fast friendship, allowing them both to escape their suffocating, dead-end home lives. Endlessly tormented by bullies, the two boys find solace and encouragement in their friendship—even if the adults around them disapprove.
As the two boys grow closer, they build a safe space together—an underground bunker where they can be themselves. But that space turns substantially less safe as their friendship and fantasies take turns at first dark and then deadly.
Rooted in the pre-technology days of the late 1970s, THE KILLING HOLE offers a dark and disturbing exploration of the suburban idyll often presented in popular culture, digging deep into the darkest territory of teenage angst.
“Steve Niles has created a singularly engrossing and surprisingly affecting story that contains all the characteristics of grounded horror with added drama, pathos and a deep understanding of the darker side of humanity,” said Storm King Comics founder and editor Sandy King. “Aided by Trevor Denham’s spectacularly evocative and haunting illustrations, this is a book we think will take up permanent residence in the memories of everyone who reads it.”
Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Trevor Denham; colors by Ryan Winn, lettering by Janice Chiang
Edited by Sandy King
96 pp.
MSRP: $17.99
ISBN: 979-8-9887285-1-1
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