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Oni Press Unleashes ‘Summer of Fear’ with EC Comics: Blood Type, Catacomb of Torment & Cruel Universe 2
- The Curator
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Oni Press and EC Comics continue Partnership for 'Summer of Fear' Line of Comics
Hey there blood suckers, flesh eaters, ghouls and miscreants! Oni Press have announced they're continuing their blood soaked, bone-rattling tribute to EC Comics with what they've dubbed THE SUMMER OF FEAR.
Hot off the spectral success of EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS and the reality-shredding CRUEL UNIVERSE, this new wave is kicking down the crypt door with monthly releases that promise zero chill and 100% carnage. First up, June’s BLOOD TYPE #1, a pulse-spiking team-up from Hugo Award nom Corinna Bechko and Eisner champ Andrea Sorrentino. July cranks the fear to eleven with CATACOMB OF TORMENT #1, loaded with twisted tales from John Arcudi, Marguerite Bennett, Dan McDaid, Matt Kindt, David Lapham, and a whole crew of narrative necromancers. Then August slams the casket shut with CRUEL UNIVERSE 2 #1, where J. Holtham, Kano, Ann Nocenti, David Rubín, and Greg Smallwood drag your soul through one last summer screamfest.
"Our EC Comics line is not only the best-selling line of comics in Oni's near-30-year history, they're also an insanely fun thing to work on," said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. "So, after exceeding our own already-high expectations with EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, CRUEL UNIVERSE, and CRUEL KINGDOM last year, we're challenging ourselves to get bolder and bigger – and bloodier! – on all fronts as EC enters the second year of its milestone resurrection."
"Working on EC for the last year has been incredibly inspiring for everyone working on the series – from the team at Oni to our partners building these bite-sized worlds at each level of production," said Oni Press Editor in Chief Sierra Hahn. "It's a real joy to continue bringing these entertaining morality tales to life with the best storytellers in the business. This summer's slate of comics is no exception."
Things are heating up this Free Comic Book Day – and not just from the sun. Oni Press and EC Comics are lighting the fuse early with the BLOOD TYPE #0 FCBD SPECIAL, crashing into comic shops like a demonic freight train on May 3rd, 2025.
This one’s more than a teaser – it’s a blood-slicked, bone-chilling recap of EC’s triumphant first year back from the crypt. Inside? The gnarly short from EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #3 that first pumped dark ichor into the veins of BLOOD TYPE. And that’s not all – you’re also getting a fresh hit of viscera from CRUEL UNIVERSE and CRUEL KINGDOM. Think of it as your gruesome starter pack before the real horror hits.
But that’s just the foreplay.
Starting this June, EC and Oni are dragging us headfirst into the SUMMER OF FEAR – and you better believe it’s gonna burn. First up: BLOOD TYPE #1, a jugular-slicing opener that paves the way for a season-long screamfest, ripping through CATACOMB OF TORMENT #1 and CRUEL UNIVERSE 2 #1 all summer long. You want horror? You got it. Uncut, unfiltered, and undead as hell.
Behold Ada's return in BLOOD TYPE
From Hugo-nom screamsmith Corinna Bechko (Cruel Universe, Green Lantern: Earth One) and Eisner-winning dread maestro Andrea Sorrentino (Gideon Falls, The Bone Orchard Mythos) comes a fang-flecked horror riot that’s about to sink its teeth deep into your jugular.
THE FANGS ARE COMING OUT.
Literally. EC’s blood-drenched darling from Cruel Universe is done playing second fiddle in anthologies — now Ada’s stepping out in her very own standalone horror series. That’s right: EC’s first-ever solo spinoff. And it's got bite.
WHEN YOU’RE IMMORTAL, EVERYONE’S A SNACK.
Meet Ada - ancient, undead, and still fabulous in a bloodstained sort of way. After one too many morally flexible decisions, she lands on the shores of a luxe island resort. Think sun, sand, and an all-you-can-eat buffet of clueless rich tourists. Paradise, right?
Wrong.
Because while Ada’s sharpening her fangs and working on her tan, there’s something else lurking in the moonlit shadows - a different kind of predator. One that doesn’t thirst for blood... but for control, corruption, and unfettered greed. And they don’t take kindly to competition.
It’s vampire versus villain in a tropical showdown where the stakes are high, the necks are soft, and survival ain’t guaranteed. This summer, BLOOD TYPE isn’t just a comic - it’s a full-blown transfusion of pulpy EC chaos, and Ada’s ready to paint paradise red.
Blood Type #1 (of 4)
Written by Corinna Bechko
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Cover A by Miguel Mercado
Limited series kicking off June 2025
Published by Oni Press
Blood Type #1 (of 4) - Preview Pages
In the CATACOMB OF TORMENT No One Can Hear You Scream
BEHOLD: A BRAND-NEW BLOODBATH, SERVED MONTHLY.
Rising like a charred finger from the scorched remains of EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, EC Comics is about to drag you into its darkest, dankest pit yet with a new horror anthology that bleeds style and screams tradition. Enter THE CATACOMB OF TORMENT - where pain has a narrator, and her favorite subject is you.
Say hello to The Tormentor - EC’s latest horror host and certified freak show of forensic fascination. She's got a taste for anatomy and a flair for cruelty, and she’s guiding readers through a monthly gauntlet of tales soaked in gore and stitched with malice. If your head's still on your shoulders, don't get too comfy - no one escapes the Catacomb.
For her Majesty of Misery’s first decree: an unholy lineup of heavy-hitters bringing the carnage. You’ve got John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.), Marguerite Bennett (Batwoman), Matt Kindt (BRZRKR), David Lapham (Stray Bullets), Dan McDaid (Shazam!) - and they’re not just here to play. They’re here to mangle, with three brand-new tales that’ll leave your soul screaming and your skin crawling.
Bonus Terror, Anyone?
Tucked between the fresh meat is a hidden gem from the EC crypt — fully restored, lovingly recolored, and ready to haunt you all over again.
THE CATACOMB OF TORMENT kicks off a new reign of horror royalty. And trust us... The Tormentor always gets what she wants.
The critics are already saying, “This is literal torture” and “Please make it stop!” Pick up this fearful 40-PAGE FIRST ISSUE – and the Tormentor might just consider letting them go!
Catacomb of Torment #1
Written by John Arcudi, Marguerite Bennett and Matt Kindt
Art by David Lapham, Dan McDaid and more
Cover A by Jorge Fornes
Ongoing series starting July 2025
Published by Oni Press
CRUEL UNIVERSE 2 Beckons From Beyond the Void
Buckle up, meatbags. EC’s CRUEL UNIVERSE is ripping back into the comic space-time continuum with an all-new, 12-issue maxi-series set to devour logic, light, and your last sliver of hope. This isn’t just a return—it’s a reentry at terminal velocity, fueled by existential dread and weaponized wonder.
Future, past, Earthbound or intergalactic—fear travels faster than light. Join a death march into the cosmic abyss where every star hides a secret, and every planet might be your last. This time, EC’s mad navigators include J. Holtham (Epitaphs from the Abyss), Kano (Immortal Iron Fist), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), David Rubín (Sherlock Frankenstein), and Greg Smallwood (The Human Target). Together, they’re defiling the laws of physics and injecting the EC legacy straight into your optic nerve via tales of parasitic horrors, alien annihilation, and the kind of sci-fi nihilism that burns hot and leaves scars.
And because EC never leaves a corpse unturned -this launch issue also includes a remastered deep-space nightmare from the vaults, lovingly restored with its original coloring and just enough dread to remind you how this whole madness began.
BEYOND STARS. BEYOND SANITY. BEYOND SALVATION. This is CRUEL UNIVERSE - and it's back to prove the void bites back.
Cruel Universe 2 #1 (of 12)
Written by J. Holtham, Ann Nocenti and Greg Smallwood
Art by Kano, David Rubin and Greg Smallwood
Cover A by Lee Bermejo
Maxi-Series launching August 2025
Published by Oni Press
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