New York Times bestselling comic book writer and television showrunner Adam Glass (Suicide Squad, Supernatural) is partnering with iconic comic book artist Bernard Chang (Batman Beyond, X-Men) to come aboard horror one-shot comic Blood Train, pulling into station this January, when it hits shelves. The extra-sized comic, which will be in magazine trim size, is a part of the newly launched Ninth Circle line of comics. The line is led by creators such as Glass, Garth Ennis, Marguerite Bennett, Joe Pruett, and Ram V, alongside founders Michael Bogner and David Stone. Ninth Circle will redefine genre storytelling, highlighting cutting-edge, original standalone stories that explore all of the dark avenues of the horror genre.
28 Days Later meets The Ruins in Blood Train, a high-stakes standalone horror story. After backpacking through Asia, a group of friends climb aboard the Siberian Express to start their journey home. Little do they know, they’ve bought a one-way ticket to hell, as one of them has been infected with a bioweapon that will turn them into a monster who will slaughter everyone on the train. And the bioweapon will start World War Three if it reaches its destination in Europe. Now, these friends must make a difficult choice: kill someone they love to save the world or die trying.
“As I grow older, much of my writing is inspired by my fears, not just for myself but for the well-being of my children,” said Glass. “Many of the experiences I cherished as a young adult have become increasingly challenging for Gen Z. When our college-aged kids excitedly announced their plans to backpack through Europe by train just as the war in Ukraine was unfolding, I was filled with concern. As I dwelled on the potential risks, the recent lockdown due to COVID-19, and my growing unease, the idea for Blood Train took shape. From the moment I conceived the story, I knew I wanted to collaborate with one of my favorite artists, Bernard Chang. Bernard, a remarkable artist, and a passionate world traveler, immediately embraced the project. We poured our hearts into this creation together and hope you will find it as thrilling as we did in bringing it to life.”
“I’m excited to collaborate with my brotha-from-anotha-motha, Adam Glass, on Blood Train,” said Chang. “Storytelling has always been the driving force behind my work, and having this opportunity to work with one of the best writers in our industry is not only inspirational, but instrumental in crafting great comic book stories. Adam and I got to work on Teen Titans comics for over two years, so we’ve developed a good rhythm together. He dribbles right, and I cut backdoor for the layup. From an artist’s perspective, that’s worth its weight in creative gold. I hope readers will see that passion dripping from the pages of Blood Train.”
Blood Train #1 will be perfect bound, magazine trim size and feature a cardstock cover. It will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 29. Blood Train #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
