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With all due respect, comic studio Tiny Onion has a it of a misleading name. Not only was the outfit founded by one of the biggest names in comics right now - that being Department of Truth and Something is Killing the Children author James Tynion IV - but it's also the home of one of the biggest financial successes in the medium this year. We're talking about horror/action/thriller Exquisite Corpses, and if you haven't heard of it yet, comic reader, expect that to change.

Let's take a step back. As you may recall Popverse reporting on earlier this year, Exquisite Corpses is the latest gorefest from author Tynion, who has partnered with artists Jordie Bellaire and Michael Walsh to bring a whole different kind of slasher to life. The plot revolves around a death match between 12 of the world's deadliest serial killers, who invade a small town and set up a 'king of the hill'-style battle to see which of them is the most lethal. This goes, as I'm sure you may guess, poorly - but what hasn't gone poorly is the sales for the book.

"This is something special," author Tynion said during a New York Comic Con 2025 Retailer Day speech, "I was talking to Image Comics yesterday, and I’m very, very happy to say that in the first six months, we’ve sold over 400,000 copies of Exquisite Corpses, which is pretty incredible for a brand new piece of intellectual property that is not based on anything that’s come before."

"Pretty incredible" is putting it mildly here, James. Regular Popverse readers will recall that that is about the number Absolute Batman #1 sold last year, to become the best selling book of 2024 (as of that November). Granted, Exquisite Corpses is five issues so far, opposed to Absolute Batman #1's singular floppy, but still - those are some impressive numbers.

"It’s all happening because of the [creative] team," Tynion continued, "And because of the stores that saw something special here and are taking it to the next level. We have a lot of plans with Tiny Onion over the next few years, some of which you’ll learn about in the coming weeks."

Tynion went on to say that part of those plans involved a playable Exquisite Corpse car game, designed by series artist Michael Walsh, and another Tiny Onion series on the way. And though the author didn't specifically say that that series would be related to Exquisite Corpses, he did reveal that a (decidely long-term) plan was in place for the sinister Squid Game-esque saga.

"We’re also going to be telling you what happens next with Exquisite Corpses," Tynion promised, "You know, Exquisite Corpses is a 13-issue maxi series, but it is also the launch of a franchise, and right now I can say that we have locked in our plans for five years of Exquisite Corpses. We are writing all of that groundwork up now, and there’s a lot, lot more to come."

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how rare a five-year plan is for a comic book franchise these days, which should speak to how much faith the publisher has in the tale. One thing to note before we leave you - a five year plan for Exquisite Corpses does not necessarily mean that the comic itself will go for five years. As Tynion has proved with offerings like Department of Truth and Something is Killing the Children, there's plenty of ways for spinoffs, sequel series, and even a hiatus or two to contribute to an overall narrative.

I guess we'll just have to wait and find out exactly what they have in mind.

Exquisite Corpses Vol. 1 is available now.

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.