Romance is hard. Dating during a demonic apocalypse is harder.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FEB. 23, 2026 (PORTLAND, OR) — Returning to your hometown is never easy, but for Heather Hutchens, it’s a nightmare…

Announcing BABYLON COVE, the five-issue horror romantic comedy series from Mad Cave Studios, written by Rafer Roberts (Modern Fantasy, Grumble) with art by New York Times Best-selling artist Joe Eisma (Morning Glories), colors by Marissa Louise (Hex Wives), and lettering by Crank! (Hack/Slash), featuring a variant cover by Eric Powell.

This is a story about Heather, a no-nonsense career-gal who returns to her picturesque New England hometown for the first time in a decade to attend a family funeral; Dennis, the all-American dreamboat who broke Heather’s heart in high school; Charlie, the late-blooming shy boy who Heather never gave the time of day, and Karthon, the ancient demon with plans to feast on the flesh of everyone in town.

If you ever wondered what would happen if Stephen King were allowed to write one of those Hallmark holiday movies…Welcome to BABYLON COVE.

Blending sharp romantic comedy instincts with straight-up horror, Babylon Cove gleefully dismantles the love triangle, replacing polite small-town tension with monsters, mayhem, and emotional reckoning.

“This project came about simply because it’s more fun to make comics with your friends,” said Rafer Roberts. “My first inclination was to write a romance comic to take advantage of Joe’s reputation from his Archie and Morning Glory days, but like all of my stuff, I had to subvert those expectations by adding a straight-up horror element. Babylon Cove is the product of both Joe and me, making the comics we’re known for, but at the same time making the comics we wish people would let us make.  There is no other romantic comedy like Babylon Cove that has this much blood and guts, and there is no other horror out there that has this much romance and laughs. Babylon Cove is for people who say they hate romance stories, people who go to brunch because their friends drag them to brunch, and people who join book clubs and have strong opinions about why the romantic leads don’t belong together.”

Artist Joe Eisma added, “I have always wanted to draw a romance comic ever since I started my career in this industry, but I could never make it work until Rafer and I worked up the concept for Babylon Cove. We had so much fun mashing the romance genre by way of Lifetime Movies with cosmic horror. I love how Rafer subverted tropes for these types of stories and gave me so much gore to draw. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind comic, unlike anything I’ve done before! I hope folks will see how much fun and joy we had on this and have a great time with it.”

Babylon Cove is about avoidance, self-sabotage, and the desperate need to be loved—where the real danger isn’t just the demon stalking the town, but the damage we do when we refuse to confront who we were, the harm we caused, and who we might still become.

Babylon Cove #1 (of 5) hits comic shop shelves May 20, 2026, with FOC on April 27. Preorder from your favorite LCS or directly from Mad Cave Studios.