The CROWNSVILLE Trailer Provides Behind-the-Scenes Insight Into the Supernatural True Crime Thriller with a Haunted History
Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is publishing one of the most anticipated horror comics of the year, beginning with CROWNSVILLE #1 by Peabody Award-winning screenwriter and master storyteller Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) and breakout star artist Elia Bonetti (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy). This frightening and unforgettable five-issue comic book series is inspired by actual events and the terrible legacy of Maryland’s Crownsville Hospital. For decades, the notorious (and now defunct) Maryland psychiatric hospital traumatized the Black communities of Jim Crow-era Annapolis. For writer Rodney Barnes, the hospital’s awful history is intertwined with his own family legacy; his grandmother worked at the hospital as a nurse and a few family members were patients there.
“The Crownsville Hospital was a boogeyman in my childhood,” said Barnes, who was a native of Annapolis, Maryland. “If I wasn’t well behaved, I was told I would be sent to Crownsville. The horror was real. My grandmother was a nurse at the hospital, and I knew I didn’t want anything to do with that place.”
Founded at the turn of the 20th century outside of Annapolis, Maryland, the Crownsville Hospital was a notoriously segregated, all-Black psychiatric institute. After decades of overcrowding and neglect— alongside darker, more-persistent rumors of patient abuse and illegal medical experiments—it was finally closed. Today, it stands condemned—a crumbling testament to a legacy of all-too-real terror inflicted on a marginalized and vulnerable community. But even as a ruin of its former self, Crownsville still casts a long shadow. . . . In the highly anticipated series, an unexplained death inside the abandoned hospital is ruled a suicide. But a lone police detective and his old friend—a local journalist— soon discover the reality of the horrors that are still locked within its walls. In issue two, the mystery deepens around Annapolis police detective Mike Simms and journalist Paul Blairare as they discover that anyone coming into contact with the facility is being deeply affected —and even killed… penance for sins of the past.
Here’s what critics are saying about the can’t-miss comic event:
“A shocking tale of generational horror.” — COMICS BEAT
“Timely, topical, and terrifying.” — THE DAILY DEAD
“The visuals from Bonetti elevate the mood and intensity of the series… Haunting.” — AIPT COMICS
“Supernatural horror meets true crime.” — BLOODY DISGUSTING
“The art has a somber and almost cinematic feel to it that is perfect for this book.” — GEEK VIBES NATION
“Chilling.” — HORROR FATALE
“A terrifying narrative drawn from a dark chapter of American history. From the Eisner Award-nominated mind of writer Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia, Batman: Full Moon) and brought to life by the phenomenal art of Elia Bonetti (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy) … [CROWNSVILLE] plunges readers into a world where the sins of the past are very much alive.” — COMIC BOOK ADDICTS
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CROWNSVILLE #1 (of 5)
WRITTEN BY RODNEY BARNES
ART BY ELIA BONETTI
COVER A BY JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
COVER B BY ELIA BONETTI
COVER C BY SZYMON KUDRAŃSKI
FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO
ON SALE NOVEMBER 12, 2025 | $4.99 | 48 PAGES | FC
IOC: 9/27/2025
FOC: 10/20/2025
About the Creators
Rodney Barnes is an award-winning writer, producer, and comic book creator whose vibrant, emphatic voice has established him as a Hollywood mainstay.
Barnes was most recently an executive producer and writer for HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, chronicling the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Showtime Lakers.
His publishing imprint, Zombie Love Studios, is dedicated to storytelling through unique BIPOC perspectives, including Killadelphia—nominated for an Eisner Award, Blacula: Return of the King—an adaptation of the cult horror classic, Monarch—an apocalyptic sci-fi adventure series following a group of Compton school kids in the midst of an alien invasion, and Florence & Normandie—a collaboration with artist/entertainer Xzibit.
Additionally, Barnes hosted the Winning Time Podcast, and is host & co-creator of the Run, Fool! Podcast—a collaboration between MrBallen, At Will Media, and Campside Media with 800K downloads a month and ranked 38th in true crime fiction podcasts.
Elia Bonetti was born in 1983 in Parma, currently lives and works in Italy. After graduating from the Art School he moved to Florence to study in the “International School of Comics” where he is currently a teacher at the headquarters of Reggio Emilia. He began his professional career as illustrator and storyboarder. For Italy he collaborated with Astorina (Diabolik), Star Comics and Rizzoli. For America he has worked for Marvel and DC comics: Captain America, Spider-verse, Death of Wolverine, Agents of Atlas. Fear Itself Home Front, and Catwoman. Since 2010, his work has appeared in France for Éditions Soleil: (L’ordre des dragons and the trilogy of Dogma) and for Glénat: (La Nuit de Morts Vivants). He worked for several clients such as Pinko, Ferrari and Ducati. In parallel with the work of illustrator, he works on personal projects concerning painting.