Visionary horror scribe Jude Ellison S. Doyle returns to BOOM! Studios with his most subversive work yet. Be Not Afraid is a breathtaking new series from Doyle (Hello Darkness, Maw) and illustrator Lisandro Estherren (Redneck). Equal parts feminist rage and rural folk horror, this descent into Hell itself is a nightmare ride fueled by the underpinnings of American Evangelical tradition and brutal cosmic horror!
Cora Reims lived the simple, isolated life of a farm girl until one fateful summer day she was host to a visitor made of pure light–an angel from on high. In the aftermath of the angel’s visit, Cora gave birth to a child. A Nephilim, the offspring of angels and humans, seemingly imbued with the very nature of evil itself.
Seventeen years later, the child’s cherubic appearance can no longer hide his monstrous nature. Frogs boil in their skin as he passes. Crops rot on their vines. The townspeople live in constant fear, knowing that atrocities follow him like a shadow.
On the eve of his eighteenth birthday, Cora receives a new vision. Heaven itself has called upon her to destroy the abomination born of her own flesh and blood…
“Be Not Afraid is the darkest thing I’ve written, and possibly my favorite: An American gothic about religion, shame, and how it’s possible to be so bad that God and/or your own mother cannot love you,” said Jude Ellison S. Doyle. “Lisandro Estherren’s illustrations are fine art, whether their subject is sublime or horrific. I cannot wait for you to see the world he’s drawn.”
“A deep and poetic story that made me follow its characters to the strangest places,” said Lisandro Estherren. “I’d like to invite you all to join us on this journey into spiritual horror.”
The first issue of the series features main cover art by Reiko Murakami (Hello Darkness), and variant covers by acclaimed illustrators Abigail J. Harding (Parliament of Rooks), Jae Lee and June Chung (Faithless), Ariel Olivetti (BRZRKR), and Javier Pulido (Shazam!).
BOOM! has also revealed a series of preview pages which you can read below:
Be Not Afraid #1 will be available in comic shops June 4, 2025. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
