Welcome to Oak Valley, Maine—population doomed.
Every five years on Halloween night, America’s wealthiest elite unleash their darkest pastime. In Exquisite Corpses, the newest twisted brainchild from horror royalty James Tynion IV, visual phenom Michael Walsh, and Image Comics, the richest families in the country send twelve of the world’s most lethal killers into a small, unsuspecting town for a midnight game of murder. The prize? Glory, prestige, and a payday soaked in blood. The goal? Be the last killer standing. For everyone else? Try not to die.
Launched on May 14th, Exquisite Corpses is not just a comic series—it’s a full-fledged horror event. Spanning 13 issues, brought to life by a rotating team of superstar creators dubbed “The Corpse Crew,” this series is a wicked mix of Battle Royale, The Purge, and Clue—with weapons far more disturbing. Think of it as murder with a March Madness twist. Readers can follow the killer brackets, collect exclusive trading cards, and even predict who’ll survive the carnage.
With the recent reveal of the 12th and final assassin—The Lone Gunman—it’s time to meet the full roster of this year’s bloody contenders.
THE LONE GUNMAN
Weapon: The Gun | Height: 6’3” | Kill Count: REDACTED
The government couldn’t contain him—now the game barely can. Dishonorably discharged for atrocities too grim to unseal, the Lone Gunman is a ruthless, hyper-focused precision killer with a penchant for turning bodies into Swiss cheese. Masked, unreadable, and deadly at range, he is the embodiment of the Exquisite Corpses ethos: stylish, strategic, and sadistic.
LEOPOLD STRONG
Weapon: The Hammer | Height: 6’5” | Kill Count: 23
A human battering ram wrapped in circus flair. With a hammer only he can lift, Strong is all muscle, zero mercy. When he swings, bones shatter, organs burst, and theatrics meet trauma.
RECLUSE
Weapon: The Rope | Height: 5’10” | Kill Count: 64
She doesn’t kill in haste—she kills with art. Recluse is a patient predator, an architect of death who spins razor-wire webs that ensnare victims like helpless flies. Step wrong, and you’ll be strung up in seconds.
FOX MASK KILLER
Weapon: The Sword | Height: 5’1” | Kill Count: 87
Elegant, enigmatic, efficient. The Fox Mask Killer is a whisper in the dark, a flash of steel in the throat. Rumored to be an assassin of assassins, she’s not here for fun—she’s here for the challenge.
PRETTY BOY
Weapon: The Axe | Height: 6’2” | Kill Count: 36
He’s got charm, cheekbones, and a taste for blood. With abs that could grace a billboard and an axe that cleaves through bodies like butter, Pretty Boy turns every kill into a killer performance.
LADY CAROLINA
Weapon: The Arrow | Height: 5’8” | Kill Count: 7
A debutante with a death wish. The only participant from a patron family, her presence in the arena is scandalous—and suspicious. Her crossbow fires with aristocratic precision. But what’s her real motive?
THE CONGREGATION
Weapon: The Knife | Height: 6’0” | Kill Count: 39
A preacher of pain. This face-wearing fanatic kills in the name of his shadowy gods, turning murder into ritual. Every stab is a sermon. Every death, a conversion.
RASCAL RANDY
Weapon: The Hands | Height: 5’11” | Kill Count: 19
The man is forgettable. The mascot suit is unforgettable. Randy strangles with glee, hiding homicidal urges beneath cartoon fur and a plastic smile. Don’t laugh—he’s coming for you.
LAYLA BLAZE
Weapon: Fire | Height: 5’3” | Kill Count: 335
The queen of combustion. A walking wildfire with a history of scorch marks and screaming victims. Layla doesn’t just kill—she annihilates. Pyromania is an understatement.
SLATER
Weapon: Explosives | Height: 5’10” | Kill Count: 124
The blast-happy heartthrob of the killing field. Charismatic, volatile, and always seconds from detonation, Slater doesn’t need to get close. He just needs to count down.
NURSE PETE
Weapon: Poison | Height: 5’6” | Kill Count: ???
Mousy, meek, and massively deadly. Pete’s poisons paralyze, panic, and kill quietly. He’s not flashy—but he’ll kill you slower than anyone else on this list. And enjoy every second.
G4M3R_KlD & CALVIN
Weapon: Electricity (via drone) | Height: 4’0” | Kill Count: 9
Don’t let the Fortnite hoodie fool you. G4M3R_KlD is a remote-control reaper with a flying arsenal named Calvin. He’s ten years old, desensitized, and dangerous. This isn’t a game to him—unless you count high scores.
Each issue of Exquisite Corpses includes in-universe playoff brackets, letting readers track kills and speculate on who’s next to drop. Will Lady Carolina’s noble blood protect her? Will Slater blow up the competition? Can the Lone Gunman go the distance?
And with a companion Exquisite Corpses trading card game coming soon—starting with polybagged variants—fans can start collecting their favorite psychopaths like Pokémon. Horrible, horrific Pokémon.
This isn’t just a story—it’s a horror experience. With each issue passed between Corpse Crew creators in an “exquisite corpse” style of storytelling, you won’t know what’s coming next. The town of Oak Valley certainly doesn’t.
So place your bets. Choose your killer. And remember: in Exquisite Corpses, no one dies clean.
