Comics
‘Kill or Be Killed’ – Next Horror Comic from ‘The Future of Fear’ Line Will Livestream Murder [Exclusive]
Artists Writers and Artisans (AWA) and Vertigo Entertainment have joined forces for The Future of Fear, a new collection of pulse-pounding, spine-chilling horror stories. The line launched this month with Look Out, and Bloody Disgusting now has exclusive details on the second title to be spawned from this exciting initiative. It’s titled Kill or Be Killed.
From acclaimed novelist Peter Tieryas (Mecha Samurai Empire, United States of Japan) and visionary fan-favorite artist Mike Choi (Moths, X-Force), Kill or Be Killed is a mind-bending horror thriller for the digital age, launching online and in stores on August 20!
The rules are simple: kill a complete stranger and livestream the murder, or lose everything. Just when you thought it was safe to scroll again…
In a world where your “friend” notification could be your death sentence, Kill or Be Killed imagines a tech dystopia where social media and AI collide with lethal consequences.
When random people begin receiving mysterious messages that threaten the lives of their loved ones—unless they murder a stranger and livestream it for all to see—they become victims of a mysterious serial murderer known as the Friendship Killer. The perpetrator’s sinister game spreads like wildfire until one victim embarks on a search for the murderer that sets him down a twisted road of advanced surveillance tech, deepfake capabilities, and AI horror.
“Kill or Be Killed burrows under your skin by making you ask what you’d do in the same situation,” said Axel Alonso, Chief Creative Officer at AWA. “That’s the hallmark of great horror: it doesn’t just scare you—it lingers, it unsettles, it makes you think. With the team at Vertigo Entertainment, we’re curating a series of stories that push boundaries of the genre. Peter Tieryas and Mike Choi’s highly plausible tale of techno horror does just that.”
Kill or Be Killed marks a bold new turn for author Peter Tieryas, known for blending sharp social commentary with speculative thrillers. “This story was inspired by our dependence on technology and the increasingly blurry lines between what’s real and artificial,” said Tieryas. “As someone who’s worked in both gaming and big tech, I wanted to explore how easily these tools, created to connect us, can be twisted into something dark and dangerous. And Mike’s art brings it all to horrifying life in ways that are both beautiful and deeply disturbing.”
The 48-page novella blends page-turning prose with razor-sharp social commentary, brought chillingly to life through Mike Choi’s haunting illustrations that immerse readers in a near-future world that feels all too real. Following the buzzworthy debut of Look Out, which hit stores on May 7, Kill or Be Killed continues The Future of Fear anthology, a cross-platform horror initiative spanning comics, illustrated prose, and screen adaptations. Titles from the collection are already in development for film and television through AWA Studios and Vertigo Entertainment.
Further titles in The Future of Fear collection will be announced and released throughout 2025 and 2026. For more information on the one-shot, collection, and other projects, visit AWA Studios on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and AWAStudios.com.
“As a film and television producer, I’m always searching for the next great story. I’m particularly drawn to stories that evoke a deep, universal fear—often set in environments that are uniquely unsettling,” Roy Lee said of The Future of Fear. “I jumped at the chance to work closely with AWA, whose work I’ve long admired, to bring this collection to fans.
“Our mission with The Future of Fear is to spotlight exceptional voices through a groundbreaking set of horror stories. We’ve scoured both traditional and unconventional places to bring you these new tales, each terrifying in its own way, packed with all the dread, shock, and adrenaline you’d expect from masters of the craft.”
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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