BOOM! Studios has announced a swashbuckling new horror series debuting this summer, aptly titled Vampyrates! Today, The Beat has all the details.
Co-created by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Luca Pizzari, Vampyrates! is colored by Adam Guzowski and lettered by Jodie Troutman. The series follows Empress Nira of the Vampirium on a revenge mission against her power-hungry cousin after she’s violently stripped of her throne. Here’s the full synopsis:
They took everything… her throne, her name, her power. Fanatics blinded by faith, led by a bloodstained, traitorous cousin, thought they could erase her. But Empress Nira of the Vampirium is not so easily forgotten.
Powerful and filled with rage, the young, sword-wielding Empress Nira stows away on a pirate ship disguised as a cabin girl. Hungry for vengeance, she fighters her way up the ranks of the crew to win her captain’s trust and eventually take back her rightful place in the Vampirium. This is not just a fight for a crown. It is a war for her soul. And Empress Nira will not stop until she reclaims her throne.
“What’s most exciting about Vampyrates! is that Luca and I are creating a whole world to lose yourself in—the Night Isles, the vampires who rule it, and the pirates who sail it,” said Van Lente. “These have been a rough couple of months, and one of the great joys I’ve had in them is an escape into this title, and I am over the moon—all three of them—to finally be able to share this book with readers. Come with us into a watery world of fangs, swords and cannon fire, you’re not going to want to leave!”
“In one word, what I’m hoping we deliver with Vampyrates! is adventure,” said Pizzari. “I always wanted to make the kind of pulp, spooky, and downright weird escapist comics that I loved so much when growing up, and I believe Fred just absolutely nailed that tone and vibe in his scripts. Trying to match that energy and freshness with my art has been one of the highlights of my career so far, and I hope readers will love this book as much as we loved creating it.”
Guzowski added, “I’m excited to be part of the Vampyrates! team. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Fred on a number of projects and jumped at the chance to work with Luca. It’s fun getting to set the mood in the world they’ve created, finding the right palettes in a world devoid of sunlight is a rewarding challenge. I can’t wait for readers to experience the swashbuckling world we’ve cooked up.”
“I’m ecstatic to be lettering Fred’s writing again,” said Troutman. “He’s a master of witty dialogue and makes every page exciting for me to work on. Likewise, Luca’s art, with Adam’s pitch perfect coloring, is inspirational; each panel pushes me to match his wild and electric scenes. I don’t think anyone is fully prepared for just how completely bonkers this comic book is.”
Get a first look at Vampyrates! #2 below.
“This is the kind of story that reminds you why readers fall in love with genre fiction in the first place. It’s bold, atmospheric, and unapologetically fun,” said Josh Hayes, Vice President, Imprint Sales Director of BOOM! Studios. “With its unforgettable blend of swashbuckling pirates and gothic intrigue, this novel delivers high-stakes adventure alongside a compelling journey of power, loyalty, and reclamation that feels both epic and deeply personal.”
Vampyrates! #1 will be available digitally and at your local comic shop on July 8.
