Heretic graphic novel set for October from Robbie Morrison, Charlie Adlard & Image Comics

A pair of comic book veterans are coming together to present a story of suspense, sinster slayings, skullduggery and supernatural specialists. Image Comics recently announced that Heretic, from writer Robbie Morrison and artist Charlie Adlard, will debut in time for the scare season.

Set in Antwerp, Belgium 1529, the black and white graphic novel focuses on actual historical figure Cornelius Agrippa and his student Johan Weyer as they investigate a string of murders at the behest of the Inquisition. Agrippa must use skills acquired as a knight, lawyer, doctor and possible occultist to uncover the truth behind these slayings and put an end to them.

The announcement offered more detail on the lead: "Agrippa was a contradictory and controversial 16th century Renaissance polymath, a soldier and a scholar whose books of occult philosophy were widely influential and added impetus to the study of magic. The first man to successfully defend a woman accused of witchcraft, he was condemned as heretical by the Inquisition, and also features as an influence on Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's classic novel. Heretic weaves this real-life character into a tapestry of thriller intrigue to create a pulse-pounding historical fiction story perfect for fans of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian and The Alienist."

“It’s great to be working with my old writing friend Robbie again—like slipping into a warm bath of pure creativity," Adlard said in the release. "Surely that’s recommendation enough to read our wonderful book..."

Adlard might be best known as the artist on the majority of The Walking Dead with Robert Kirkman, but he and Morrison actually started their careers around the same time and did a graphic novel called White Death together about a soldier in World War I returning to his home village in Italy. Both creators worked for stalwart British comic company 2000 AD on its iconic Judge Dredd franchise as well as Nikolai Dante, a character Morrison created for the company and Adlard drew at times.

Morrison has also written Doctor Who comics and became an important part of Jim Lee's Wildstorm Universe under the DC Comics umbrella in the early-to-mid 2000s, headlining Authority and Wildcats titles. Recently the writer shifted gears into the world of mystery novels kicking off the Jimmy Dreghorn series with Edge Of The Grave and its follow-up Cast A Cold Eye. Both books take place in the dangerous streets of 1930s Glasgow as the lead detective and his partner Archie McDaid struggle to uphold the law in a financially depressed place with roving gangs and other dangers skulking through the shadows.

"Heretic is a story I've wanted to tell for many years and Charlie is the perfect collaborator for this tale of murder, magic and madness," Morrison said in the presser. "His art oozes atmosphere, beautifully conjuring up the Renaissance world, the larger-than-life Holmesian character of Cornelius Agrippa, the horrors of the Inquisition and a creeping sense of supernatural dread."

Heretic is set to debut on October 29 both as a physical graphic novel and a digital book.