Space. It’s cold. It’s dark. It’s horrifying. But nothing compares to the grotesque creatures found on Mars. Enter: A Haunting on Mars — the answer to your comic book quest for earthly superstition making its way to the Red Planet. A team consisting of an expert hacker, an empath, a psionic, corporate muscle, and a deceitful mission leader travel to the long-abandoned Mars Colony to retrieve The Core: a digital world filled with the tortured ghosts of those who died while the colony was being destroyed.
This mini series shows us — from the eyes of Cass, the anti-corp terrorist hacker — just what lengths the 1% are willing to go to to secure power, both in life and in death. Their twisted minds lack even the most basic empathy, their wealth and power used only to hurt those under them in the most gruesome ways. A Haunting on Mars shows this in fully inked and colored glory; ghastly mutated corpses, screaming faces, and blood mixed with psychic ooze seem to drip off of every page. This cyberpunk horror story is not for the faint of heart, but a must for those looking for a celestial creepshow.
A Haunting on Mars is a tag team effort by Zach Chapman, Ruairi Coleman, and Steve Canon, with their work being featured in House of Blood, Star Wars (Dark Temple), By the Horns, and more. From the first page, we’re thrown into action as the team’s ship is engulfed in a fireball as they land on Mars. The energy doesn’t stop there. As we’re following Cass’ thought process and story, we see what she sees. We figure out the grand master plan as she does. Perfectly cut up into episode-like chunks, A Haunting on Mars delivers on plot, never missing a beat.
Besides plot, A Haunting on Mars is not afraid to get down and dirty with visuals. The desolate wasteland that once was the thriving Mars Colony is the classic rusty orange, speckled with the mummified corpses of those who couldn’t escape in time. Vibrant blues and greens give us a brief reprieve as the team enters the haunted estate of corporate elite Emmeric Deschutes. And don’t forget the half-tech-half-ghost monstrosities that grace the pages in the latter half. There is blood. There is terror. This “haunted core” will be the death of everyone.
If you’re a fan of Black Mirror, Bladerunner, Shirley Jackson, or Cronenberg, give A Haunting on Mars a try. Gritty, savage, mysterious, and filled with dread — this comic gives readers a ghost story like no other, one that can only exist in the cold, dark shadows of space.
Go support the A Haunting on Mars campaign on Kickstarter (up until 8 August 2024)! And of course, give Zach Chapman a follow on Instagram. Want more? Read the entire first issue here!
