EXCLUSIVE: The Handmaid’s Tale co-executive producer and TV writer J. Holtham is penning a post-apocalyptic graphic novel for L.A. publishing house Gungnir.
The Bleed Black will tell the story of a family’s perilous journey west to cut their son a decade after colossal monsters began ravaging American cities. Gungnir, which is led by Matthew Medney, is expected to release it in 2027.
Drawing the book will be Daz Tibbles, who counts Final Space: The Final Chapter among his work, with Steve Orlando overseeing the project as editor.
They Bleed Black follows the Abraham family ten years after colossal monsters known as mega-predators — or ‘Preds’ — began ravaging the world, with humanity’s last line of defense a fleet of towering mechs designed to battle the beasts. When the Preds devastate Detroit, the Abrahams defeat the attackers by climbing into a nearly completed mech. Amid the chaos, they discover a fragmented warning from Tep, one of the Abraham sons — immediately training at a Knight facility in Colorado — suggesting he and the other recruits are in grave danger. With the family discovering something strange in the Preds’ black blood, they decide to leave the ruins of Detroit and embark on a perilous journey west to cut their son.
Writer Holtham is a playwright, TV writer and counts Hulu’s Emmy Award-winning Handsmaid’s Tale among his exec credits. He has written on shows such as Netflix’s Marvel series Jessica Jones, Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger, DC’s Supergirl and Fox’s Pitch. He has also written for Marvel Comics, with work ranging Infinity Comics to the comics series Bishop and Night Thrasher.
“We’re fired up to welcome J. Holtham — a creative force with a voice that refuses to play by the rules — into the Gungnir creative family,” said Medney, founder and publisher at Gungnir. “J’s storytelling doesn’t just deliver what fans want, it blows past expectations, and we can’t wait to unleash this collaboration on the page.”
“I’ve been wanting to tell this story for years,” added Holtham. “It’s the kind of punk rock/hip-hop/sci-fi mash-up that I love. A story about a Black family, holding it together, in the face of literal monsters, that’s the story I feel like I was born to tell. This one is for my family, for the Black anime kids, for everyone who’s ever wanted to fight the power. I can’t imagine a better home for it than Gungnir.”
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