Oni Press is thrilled to reveal a sneak peek at CROWNSVILLE #1, the debut of a gripping five-issue series by Eisner-nominated writer Rodney Barnes.

The press release follows:

Media Release -- Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is proud to unleash a look inside CROWNSVILLE #1, the first in a chilling five-part series from Rodney Barnes — the Eisner Award-nominated writer of Killadelphia and Peabody award-winning writer of The Boondocks and Wu-Tang: An American Saga — and acclaimed artist Elia Bonetti (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy)! Inspired by the real-life horrors of the notorious Maryland psychiatric hospital once called the “Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland” that preyed upon the segregated Black communities surrounding Annapolis, Maryland for decades, CROWNSVILLE #1 is a haunting fusion of true crime, tension-addled thriller, and roaring supernatural horror arriving in comic shops everywhere on November 5th with a DOUBLE-SIZED, 48 PAGE FIRST ISSUE!

Find CROWNSVILLE #1 on eBay!

Founded at the turn of the 20th century outside of Annapolis, MD, the Crownsville Hospital was a notoriously segregated, all-Black psychiatric institute. After decades of overcrowding and neglect— alongside darker, more-persistent rumors of patient abuse and illegal medical experiments—it was finally closed. Today, it stands condemned—a crumbling testament to a legacy of all-too-real terror inflicted on a marginalized and vulnerable community. But even as a ruin of its former self, Crownsville still casts a long shadow. . . . When an unexplained death inside the abandoned hospital is ruled a suicide, Annapolis police detective Mike Simms and journalist Paul Blairare are compelled to dig deeper, only to discover the reality of the horrors that once took place there . . . and the powerful connection they share to the anguished spirits of the dead that are still locked within its walls.

The past is a ghost that will devour you whole… Discover why on November 5th as master storytellers Rodney Barnes and Elia Bonetti unleash one of 2025’s most enthralling, most terrifying, and most spectacular statements on horror in CROWNSVILLE #1 – featuring wrenching coversJason Shawn Alexander (Spawn), interior artist Elia Bonetti (Darth Vader), Syzmon Kudranski (The Punisher), and Andrea Sorrentino (Gideon Falls, EC’s Blood Type)!?

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CROWNSVILLE #1 (of 5)
WRITTEN BY RODNEY BARNES
ART BY ELIA BONETTI
COVER A BY JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
COVER B BY ELIA BONETTI
COVER C BY SZYMON KUDRANSKI
FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO
ON SALE NOVEMBER 5, 2025 | $4.99 | 48 PAGES | FC
IOC: 9/27/2025
FOC: 10/20/2025







About Oni Press

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.

About the Creators

Rodney Barnes is an award-winning writer, producer, and comic book creator whose vibrant, emphatic voice has established him as a Hollywood mainstay.

Barnes was most recently an executive producer and writer for HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, chronicling the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Showtime Lakers.

His publishing imprint, Zombie Love Studios, is dedicated to storytelling through unique BIPOC perspectives, including Killadelphia—nominated for an Eisner Award, Blacula: Return of the King—an adaptation of the cult horror classic, Monarch—an apocalyptic sci-fi adventure series following a group of Compton school kids in the midst of an alien invasion, and Florence & Normandie—a collaboration with artist/entertainer Xzibit.

Additionally, Barnes hosted the Winning Time Podcast, and is host & co-creator of the Run, Fool! Podcast—a collaboration between MrBallen, At Will Media, and Campside Media with 800K downloads a month and ranked 38th in true crime fiction podcasts.

Elia Bonetti was born in Parma in 1983 and lives and works in Italy. After graduating from the Art High School of Parma, he moved to Florence to specialize at the International School of Comics, where he is now a faculty member at the Reggio Emilia branch. Since 2010, he has published with numerous international publishers, including Soleil, Glénat, Astorina, Star Comics, Bonelli, Cosmo, Marvel (Wolverine, Captain America, Star Wars, Spider-Man, Darth Vader), DC Comics (Batman vs Superman, Catwoman), Penthouse Comics, and Image. As an illustrator, he has created artwork for board games and book covers. Alongside his work as an illustrator and comics artist, he carries on a personal painting practice, collaborating with several art galleries.

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