Mirka Andolfo Returns to the World of Mercy With Merciless #1

Wepa, horror fam, Mirka Andolfo is heading back into the fog, secrets and supernatural nastiness of Mercy, and this time she is bringing artist Lidia Bolognini along for the ride. Image Comics has announced Merciless, a new four-issue miniseries launching this December, and Woodsburgh apparently did not learn its lesson the first time around.

Set fifteen years after the town believed it had escaped the Devil of Woodsburgh, Merciless follows an adult Rory as she returns ready to open her factory. Naturally, peace does not last. A strange drug called Electric Sumac begins spreading through the streets, giving ordinary people unnatural strength while also pushing them toward some seriously dangerous behavior.

Rory and Joel know there is more going on than a bad batch hitting town, because the drug’s origins are anything but normal. At the same time, Sheriff Bancroft is back dealing with unfinished family business, old debts are crawling back into daylight and Woodsburgh is once again looking like the kind of place where keeping secrets is practically a civic tradition.

Andolfo described the series as a new horror adventure that works for returning Mercy readers as well as newcomers, with Bolognini bringing the new chapter to life. The setup has the right mix of Gothic horror, mystery and ugly history to make this feel connected to Mercy without simply replaying it.

Merciless #1 arrives at comic shops December 2 from Image Comics, with a frankly ridiculous stack of covers from Bolognini and Andolfo, Homare, Leirix, Nicoletta Baldari and more. The series will also be available digitally. If you missed the original story, Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy: The Fair Lady, The Frost, and the Fiend collects all six issues and is available now.

Fifteen years later, a grown Rory, a mystery drug and Woodsburgh refusing to stay quiet? Yeah, I am curious. The town clearly has more bodies buried than anybody bothered counting.