Comic book writer Scott Snyder is perhaps best known for his work on Batman, though started out in the world of horror. Following his recent tenure with DC, Snyder has returned to his roots to craft creator-owned horror stories. His latest is Canary, a genre-bending Old West tale teaming him with Dan Panosian.
Originally produced as a Comixology original series, Canary is now being published as a monthly comic by Dark Horse Comics. It will be released in three parts, with the first issue arriving in stores later this year. The first issue will feature multiple variant covers by Panosian, Emma Rios, and Jill Thompson. A trade-paperback collection is also being prepared and is expected in stores in June 2024.
What is Canary About?
Set in the final days of the Gold Rush, Canary mixes real history with modern horror. In 1891, a company in Colorado strikes uranium just before the mine collapses in on itself. Legends soon spring up about the mine being cursed or haunted.
Years later, as the frontier becomes settled and civilized, new legends arise. Stories of random killings and people going mad, murdering their friends without cause. It is one such killing that summons Marshal Azrael Holt. What he, and a brilliant geologist discover, will defy everything they know.
“Canary blends Gothic Horror and the Western genre into a world never seen before,” said Panosian. “Scott created a unique take on this story and it demanded an equally unique take artistically. I wanted the look, the feel and the colors to take a reader to a place they haven’t been to before. A Western is familiar to most of us – but taking that style and twisting, ever so slightly, presents a certain unease that helps shape this experience. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”
Canary #1 as now available for pre-order. It will arrive in stores on November 1, 2023.