Boom Unlocks Stuff Of Nightmares #1 Fear Street Homage Variant

Back in June, Boom Studios announced they would be publishing bestselling author and cultural icon R.L. Stine‘s “first horror comic for grown-ups” – Stuff of Nightmares in September. Near as we can tell, Stuff of Nightmares is also Stine’s first creator-owned comic book series following his creator-owned original graphic novel series, Just Beyond, which was adapted into a streaming series on Disney+.

Last week, the publisher dropped their first look at the first issue with art by Maw’s A.L. Kaplan along with a complete gallery of all-star covers by Francesco Francavilla, original Goosebumps cover artist Tim Jacobus, Miguel Mercado, Adam Gorham, Jenny Frison, Kyle Hotz, and Björn Barends. Those variants include a 1-in-250 version of the Barends cover signed by Stine himself, another first apparently, which like the Todd McFarlane signatures for last year’s chart-topping King Spawn #1 will come with a CGC approved certificate of authenticity allowing collectors to submit their copies for a yellow CGC Signature Series.

But from what I’m hearing, the cover that has spurred the most chatter among retailers is the Fear Street homage by Mercado. And while 2022 is the 30th anniversary of Stine’s Goosebumps, resulting in him making the interview rounds to talk its cultural impact and future plans, Fear Street was the series that put Stine on the map first. It’s also enjoyed a resurgence in popular culture thanks to the trilogy of Netflix movies last year, which explains why the homage to 1992’s Cheerleaders: The Second Evil has been such a hot topic. Originally slated to be a 1-in-10 incentive cover, retailers have been inundating Boom with requests to make the cover open-to-order as they did with the Jerry Seinfeld World’s Finest cover by Dan Mora. And like DC, Boom caved to retailer pressure and has now made Mercado’s cover open-to-order, meaning retailers can order as many as they’d like to appeal to casual Fear Street and Goosebumps fans.

As I understand it, initial orders for Stuff of Nightmares #1 are already higher than two of Boom’s biggest recent creator-owned hits Alice Ever After and Grim… and we know what both of those series ended up selling! Will Fear Street and Goosebumps nostalgia combined with Stine’s first comic series aimed at his adult Fear Street fans and a chance for a signed edition make Stuff of Nightmares the publisher’s top-ordered launch of 2022?

We’ll know soon enough since Stuff of Nightmares #1 is up on Final Order Cutoff this coming Monday, August 15th. If you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy, you may want to do so… lest missing out haunts your future nightmares.

STUFF OF NIGHTMARES #1 (OF 4) CVR F MERCADO
BOOM! STUDIOS
JUL220297
(W) R. L. Stine (A) A.L. Kaplan (CA) Miguel Mercado
R.L Stine is back-but not for the faint of heart-with a chilling take on an iconic character, perfect for fans of Fear Street and EC Comics horror titles! In Stine’s reanimated reimaginingIn the first of Stine’s reanimated reimaginings, you’re familiar with the classic tale of a mad scientist hell-bent on creating life, but what these two demented brothers have created is something else entirely! Horror lovers won’t want to miss the legendary author’s return to comics in his first creator-owned single issue series, with art by A.L. Kaplan (Maw, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller). Fans also won’t want to miss celebrating this milestone event with a Björn Barends variant signed by R.L. Stine and not one but two extra spooky glow in the dark covers by Francesco Francavilla and original Goosebumps cover artist Tim Jacobus!In Shops: Sep 21, 2022
SRP: $4.99