Mad Cave Studios will publish Babylon Cove, a five-issue horror romantic comedy written by Rafer Roberts and drawn by Joe Eisma, beginning in May. The miniseries will feature colors by Marissa Louise, lettering by Crank! and a variant cover by The Goon creator Eric Powell.
The story follows Heather Hutchens, a no-nonsense career woman returning to her picturesque New England hometown for the first time in a decade for a family funeral. Waiting for her are Dennis, the all-American dreamboat who broke her heart in high school; Charlie, the shy boy she never gave the time of day; and Karthon, an ancient demon with plans to devour the entire town.
“This project came about simply because it’s more fun to make comics with your friends,” Roberts said. “My first inclination was to write a romance comic to take advantage of Joe’s reputation from his Archie and Morning Glory days, but like all of my stuff, I had to subvert those expectations by adding a straight-up horror element. Babylon Cove is the product of both Joe and me, making the comics we’re known for, but at the same time making the comics we wish people would let us make. There is no other romantic comedy like Babylon Cove that has this much blood and guts, and there is no other horror out there that has this much romance and laughs. Babylon Cove is for people who say they hate romance stories, people who go to brunch because their friends drag them to brunch, and people who join book clubs and have strong opinions about why the romantic leads don’t belong together.”
Eisma, who has long wanted to draw a romance comic, said the collaboration gave him the best of both worlds. “We had so much fun mashing the romance genre by way of Lifetime Movies with cosmic horror,” he said. “I love how Rafer subverted tropes for these types of stories and gave me so much gore to draw.”
Here’s a look at Powell’s cover:
The first issue arrives May 20.