Last year at New York Comic Con, IDW announced the launch of a new horror imprint titled IDW Dark. Ahead of this weekend’s NYCC, the publisher announced via new titles from The Line Smile, A Quiet Place, Operation: Iron Coffin, and Exercises at Buckingham Palace.
Reportedly, after two movies and a third, Not So Amazing Smile wasn’t popular enough to get its own franchise. This new series takes place before the events of the original film.
Smile: For Camera #1 Cover by Skylar Patridge
Unleashing psychological supernatural horror in comic shops next February is Smile: Camera #1. From acclaimed horror writer Hannah Rose May (Rogues Gallery, Exorcism of 1600 Pens) and rising star artist Miriana Puglia (Red Sonja, Gargoyles), the terrifying story returns to the group in 2005 to kick off Fashion Month in New York. They don’t want to smile for the camera, but paranoia quickly creeps in when a mysterious smiling entity begins chasing the group.
“As a huge fan of Smiles, I’m honored to be entrusted with expanding Parker Finn’s terrifying universe into comics,” May said. “I’ve had a bad time writing this, but I can’t wait for fans to experience their nightmares in a whole new medium. Just as Smile 2 took us into the world of pop stars in the present, our series throws it into the early 2000s and drops the entity into the ruthless world of the modeling industry.”
The horror writer said, “We have created a visual language as captivating as we have created, combining Miriana’s poppy art with Diabla’s evocative colors.”
“Working on this project is a real pleasure and especially an honor for me,” Puglia said. “Hannah’s ability to bring us into the context of the fashion world in the early 2000s is unique. I love the scenes that relate to the busy lives of people working in this field, behind the scenes of fashion shows, and always being at the top notch aesthetically.”
John Krasinski has come a long way since his days writing A Quiet Place and its sequels and playing Jim in The Office. With the third movie on the way, fans can revisit the world in the new IDW Dark series.
A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #1 Cover by Ryan Kelly, Lee Loughridge
The comic book store that will be invaded next March is a quiet place. Storm Warning Storm Warning #1 from the blockbuster creative duo of writer and layout artist Phil Hester (Gotham City: Swamp Thing) and artist Ryan Kelly (Lucifer, Stranger Things). As a spine-chilling creature creates chaos across the world, slaughtering anything that makes a sound, a small Midwestern island town struggles to survive in silence as a ferocious and seemingly unstoppable extraterrestrial horror lurks around it.
“As a franchise, I think A Quiet Place stands out for two reasons. Each film is a relentless torrent of suspenseful action, but with a truly moving drama at its core. Second, it’s an innovative formal exercise in visual storytelling without dialogue,” commented Hester. “A Quiet Place: With Storm Warning, I feel like Ryan Kelly and I recreate those qualities, but I’m a completely different medium. We’re both Midwest living along the Mississippi. We’re Midwest living along the Mississippi. We’re Midwestern living along the Mississippi Island. In the stands, don’t forget to turn these pages quietly.”
After the success of Exorcism at 1600 Pens, series creator Hannah Rose May has been joined by artist Kelsey Ramsay for a new tale of Jolly Old England, with Exorcism at Buckingham Palace available at Buckingham Palace in March this year.
Exocam of Buckingham Palace #1 Cover by Heather Breckel, Kelsey Ramsay
“I’m really humbled by the response to the exorcism at 1600 Pens,” May said. “Returning to this world with the team at IDW Dark was an absolute thrill. Exorcism at Buckingham Palace expands the universe with a brand new environment, cast, and mythology. It’s a fresh entry point for new readers that rewards fans who have been with us since the beginning of the universe.”
Finally, Operation: Iron Coffin is a new spin on the classic Dracula legend during World War II.
Operation: Iron Coffin promotional art by Tyrell Cannon
It’s the operation that will hit comic shops next July. Iron Coffin #1, a new IDW original horror from rising star writer Kenny Porter (Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow, Batman: Urban Legends) and explosive artist Tyrell Cannon (Fantastic Four Fanfare, Shrub). Based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this action-packed thriller transports readers to World War II when a British bomber drops an iron ffin onto a heavily fortified Nazi train full of superweapons. Dracula appears, ready to tear apart hordes of enemies and stop Hitler from creating an army of vampires to win the war.
“I can’t wait to share this bold new take on Dracula with the world,” exclaimed Porter. “Working with Tyrell has always been a dream, creating a truly unique horror/action take on a character that fans of Castlevania, Metal Gear, and Hellboy love.”
“I’m so excited to be working with Kenny again for this wild take on Dracula,” Cannon commented. “As a lifelong horror fan, the ultimate evil portrayal of Dracula is a dream (nightmare?) come true.
“At IDW, we love nothing more than keeping our readers up at night, and with these new titles, we’re unleashing four shots of terror to kick off 2026,” said Heather Antos, group editor of IDW Dark. “From royal hauntings to apocalyptic silences to fashion week horrors, this lineup proves that horror can be elegant, original, and downright terrifying.
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