Mad Cave Studios has announced that acclaimed Slayers: A Buffyverse Story audio drama co-writers and co-directors Amber Benson and Christopher Golden are returning to the realm of horror for original Irish folk comic book series The Heir. The upcoming five-issue limited series will debut its first chapter in comic book stores on January 13, 2027.
The series be illustrated by Irish artist Gavin Fullerton (The Closet, Bog Bodies) and feature colors by Juancho! (Revolution 9), and letters by Becca Carey (Absolute Wonder Woman). Fans of Hokum, Ready or Not, The Haunting of Hill House, and Irish folklore will love this dark supernatural tale following a young woman’s Gothic-tinged descent into madness in a mysterious Irish estate full of family secrets, where she’ll have to fight against ominous forces for the one she loves.
In The Heir, Dani’s first trip to Ireland with her fiancé, Conor, was supposed to revolve around them announcing their engagement to his family. Instead, it’s the funeral of his grandfather, immersing Dani in a labyrinth of family secrets, child abduction, dark history, and ancient Irish folklore. Spiraling into murder, curses, and monstrosity, The Heir thrusts Dani into a race against time to save the one she loves the most, no matter the cost.
Amber Benson is a Bram Stoker-nominated writer as well as a prestigious actor, director, and producer. She iconically played the beloved role of Tara Maclay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has since been a major story architect in the Buffy universe, authoring comics. Aside from Slayer stories, Benson has written the dark fantasy Calliope Reaper-Jones series and the Echo Park Coven urban fantasy trilogy. She has frequently teamed up with Golden; they created the supernatural animated web series Ghosts of Albion and the books spinning out of it. Benson and Golden led the massive Audible hit Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, which features alt-universe storytelling and brought back the series cast for the voice acting. The Heir marks Benson’s return to original non-IP-based comic book storytelling.
“Chris and I are so excited to be working with Mad Cave and artist Gavin Fullerton to bring our new folk horror project, The Heir, to readers everywhere,” said Benson. “Inspired by ’70s psychological horror like Rosemary’s Baby and The Wicker Man, The Heir has all the good stuff: dark family curses, bloody sacrifice, and ghostly creatures beckoning from deep in the woods. If we’ve done our job right, The Heir should leave you feeling unsettled and praying you remembered to lock your doors before you started reading.”
Christopher Golden is a multi-Bram Stoker & Shirley Jackson award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer, celebrated for his dark fantasy, horror, and thriller stories. In the comic realm, he notably co-created the gothic-inspired alt-history The Outerverse comic franchise with frequent collaborator Mike Mignola (Hellboy) at Dark Horse and has scribed many successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer tie-in novels and comic books. He also co-created the supernatural original limited series Talent and The Sisterhood with collaborator Thomas E. Sniegoski. Now he’s bringing his skills in the dark fantasy and horror worlds to The Heir.
“Amber and I dreamed up The Heir some years ago as a potential indie horror film,” said Golden. “When we saw all the cool stuff Mad Cave was publishing, we talked about teaming up with them on a project, and knew it had to be The Heir. Irish folk horror, creepy woods, bloody murder, and creatures out of legend make for great comics. Irish horror comics artist Gavin Fullerton was the perfect person to bring it all to nightmarish life.”
Artist Gavin Fullerton is diving into his own personal Irish roots to illustrate The Heir. Fullerton has previously collaborated with high-profile writers such as Something is Killing the Childrencreator James Tynion IV for The Closet, Over the Garden Wall creator Patrick McHale for BAGS(or a Story Thereof), and has ventured into illustrating creator-owned Image Comics series such as Bog Bodies with Declan Shalvey. Fullerton also created, wrote, and illustrated his own dark horror-fantasy one-shot comic Tuatha with IDW.
“Being Irish I’m always looking to make stories rooted in our mythology and culture, so when I got asked to work on The Heir, I jumped at the chance,” said Fullerton. “Chris and Amber have crafted a beautifully tragic horror story and it was great to be able to take inspiration from the people and places around me to draw this book.”
The first issue will feature variant covers by an all-star lineup of artists including Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + The Divine), Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Rebekah Isaacs (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) with colors by Marissa Louise (Stranger Things), and Chuma Hill (DC’s Absolute Universe), to be revealed soon.
Take a look at preview pages form issue #1 below:
The first issue of The Heir will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 13, 2027 (FOC November 30, 2026). The title will become available across digital platforms as well. Preorder through your local comic shop or from Mad Cave directly.
