Garth Ennis and John McCrea Unleash Psychedelic Nightmare The Snail This November

The legendary creative duo reunites for a disturbing standalone horror story about lust, power, possession, and the terrible price of getting everything you desire

Never trust a talking snail. Seriously, mi gente, how many warning signs do you need?

Eisner Award-winning writer Garth Ennis and Eisner Award-winning artist John McCrea are crawling back into the darkness together for The Snail, a twisted new psychedelic horror one-shot arriving this November from Image Comics.

The longtime collaborators behind unforgettable comic book mayhem are reuniting for a standalone story loaded with lust, power, possession, and the kind of nightmare fuel that sticks to your brain long after the final page. Coming from the Ninth Circle line of comics, The Snail places one dangerous question at the center of its disturbing story: What would you sacrifice to receive your heart’s greatest desire? More importantly, should you really be negotiating with a talking snail?

A mysterious creature offers someone the thing they want most, but deals involving impossible wishes rarely come without a brutal price. When desire takes control and common sense gets tossed out the window, the road to fulfillment can turn into a slippery crawl through temptation, manipulation, and horror.

Ennis, the acclaimed writer behind The Boys and Preacher, is no stranger to pushing characters beyond the limits of good taste, good judgment, and basic human decency. Paired again with McCrea, whose work includes Hitman, The Demon, and Dead Eyes, the result promises to be beautiful, grotesque, funny, and deeply wrong in all the ways horror fans crave.

“It might be said that a talking snail is not the best source of life guidance, but given the scum and villainy people are taking advice from nowadays, perhaps it’s no worse than any of the other options? Find out in The Snail, by myself and the good Mr. McCrea,” said Ennis. “If I was a talking snail I’d definitely be telling you to buy it.”

McCrea offered an even more direct warning about what readers are walking into.

“When Garth asks you to work on a horror title with him you have to be ready for some disturbing shit. I said yes and wasn’t ready. This is some disturbing shit,” said McCrea.

Well, there you have it. When John McCrea admits Garth Ennis caught him unprepared, the rest of us should probably approach this comic wearing protective gear and carrying a gallon of emotional bleach.

The creative chemistry between Ennis and McCrea has always thrived on controlled chaos. Their work can pivot from brutal violence and outrageous comedy to genuine humanity without asking permission. Giving them a talking snail, a desperate wish, and a supernatural bargain sounds like somebody handed two maniacs the keys to a haunted candy store.

Unlike an ongoing series that gives readers months to recover, The Snail delivers its entire nightmare in one shot. No sprawling continuity. No homework. Just one complete descent into psychedelic horror, moral corruption, and mollusk-powered madness.

The Snail carries UPC 70985304936400111 and will arrive at comic book shops on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The one-shot will also be released digitally through Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook, Everand, Kobo, OverDrive, Hoopla, Comics Plus, Sweet, and other participating platforms.

Be careful what you wish for, Crusaders. If your heart’s desire arrives on a trail of slime, keep walking.