Slayers: A Buffyverse Story writers/directors Amber Benson and Christopher Golden are reteaming on the Irish folk horror comic The Heir. A five-part Mad Cave series, featuring art by Gavin Fullerton (The Closet), colors by Juancho!, and lettering by Becca Carey, the book follows a woman whose trip to Ireland with her fiancé turns unexpectedly bleak after his grandfather dies.
The official synopsis reads, “Dani’s first trip to Ireland with her fiancé, Conor, was supposed to revolve around them announcing their engagement to his family. Instead, it’s the funeral of his grandfather, immersing Dani in a labyrinth of family secrets, child abduction, dark history, and ancient Irish folklore. Spiraling into murder, curses, and monstrosity, The Heir thrusts Dani into a race against time to save the one she loves the most, no matter the cost.”
Benson says, “Inspired by ’70s psychological horror like Rosemary’s Baby and The Wicker Man, The Heir has all the good stuff: dark family curses, bloody sacrifice, and ghostly creatures beckoning from deep in the woods. If we’ve done our job right, The Heir should leave you feeling unsettled and praying you remembered to lock your doors before you started reading.”
Golden adds, “Amber and I dreamed up The Heir some years ago as a potential indie horror film. When we saw all the cool stuff Mad Cave was publishing, we talked about teaming up with them on a project, and knew it had to be The Heir. Irish folk horror, creepy woods, bloody murder, and creatures out of legend make for great comics. Irish horror comics artist Gavin Fullerton was the perfect person to bring it all to nightmarish life.”
Fullerton also says, “Being Irish I’m always looking to make stories rooted in our mythology and culture, so when I got asked to work on The Heir, I jumped at the chance. Chris and Amber have crafted a beautifully tragic horror story and it was great to be able to take inspiration from the people and places around me to draw this book.”
Issue #1 will be released on January 13, 2027, with covers by Jamie McKelvie, Mike Mignola, Rebekah Isaacs & Marissa Louise, and Chuma Hill. Most of these will be revealed later. In the meantime, you can read a four-page preview below.
