‘The Boys’ Garth Ennis, ‘The Equalizer’s Adam Glass Among Founders Of New Comic Book Publisher Ninth Circle; First Title Set

EXCLUSIVE: The Boys comics co-creator Garth Ennis and The Equalizer co-showrunner Adam Glass are among the co-founders of Ninth Circle, a new comic book publisher focused on the horror genre, which has set horror comedy Freddie The Fix as its first title.

Ninth Circle, whose co-founders also include writers Marguerite Bennett (DC’s Bombshells), Joe Pruett (Negative Burn) and Ram V (The Many Deaths of Laila Starr), launches as an imprint of Image Comics. Rounding out the leadership team is ABCO’s Michael Bogner and TFC Management’s David Stone. Ninth Circle’s lead investor Kimberly Steward (Manchester By The Sea, Suspiria), and her K Period Media production company will partner with Ninth Circle to produce select titles.

Taking inspiration from Dante, who created nine circles of Hell in Inferno, Ninth Circle books “will explore all of the dark avenues of the horror genre, including the paranormal and demonic, slashers, creatures, psychological, and even a dash of comedy, all coming straight to readers from the deepest depths of Hell,” according to the founders.

Its debut title, Ennis’ Freddie The Fix is billed as a darkly humorous and horrific series that follows Freddie, a fixer who cleans up the messes left behind by the monstrous stars of Hollywood: werewolves, vampires, zombies, aliens, bogeymen, predators, and…things. The series will be illustrated by Mike Perkins (Ed Brubaker’s Captain America run, Stephen King’s The Stand and Swamp Thing). Freddie the Fix is set for release Dec. 11.

“I’ve always been a big horror fan.” said Ennis. “With Freddie the Fix, I hope to shock, thrill, and entertain our fans (and maybe give them a laugh or two along the way).”

Starting with Freddie the Fix, Ninth Circle aims to deliver double-shot books each month, with each issue containing a stand-alone tale of terror. Upcoming comics include works by Marguerite Bennett, illustrated by Jill Thompson (Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, the Scary Godmother series, Wonder Woman), Joe Pruett, illustrated by Butch Guice (The Flash, Winter Soldier, Birds of Prey), and Glass, illustrated by Bernard Chang (X-Men, Deadpool, Superman), as well as additional titles from Ennis, Ram V and others.

“Ninth Circle is all about embracing the horror genre in all its forms,” Glass said. “With Garth’s unparalleled ability to craft unforgettable worlds; Ram, Marguerite and Joe’s daring eye for pushing the boundaries of the medium; and my own experience in storytelling across multiple mediums, we can’t wait to share these stories with fans.”