Nearly three decades after its initial release, Paul W.S. Anderson's cult classic film Event Horizon is set to expand its universe with a new prequel. IDW Publishing has announced Event Horizon: Dark Descent, a gripping five-issue comic book series that delves into the harrowing events preceding the film and sheds light on the mysterious fate of the Event Horizon's original crew.

Penned by acclaimed writer Christian Ward, known for his work on Batman: City of Madness, and illustrated by Tristan Jones, who brought Aliens: Defiance to life, Dark Descent promises a visually stunning and terrifying narrative. The series will be colored by Pip Martin, famous for That Texas Blood, and will feature captivating cover art by Ward, Jeffrey Alan Love, Martin Simmonds, and Joshua Hixson.

Event Horizon: Dark Descent #1 Cover Art Gallery

View 4 ImagesIDW's official synopsis of Event Horizon: Dark Descent reads:

Embracing the hard-R rating of the shocking movie, EVENT HORIZON: DARK DESCENT #1 (of 5 issues) will lightspeed jump into comic shops this August. Taking place before the events of the film and completely accessible to new readers, this is the unbelievable story of the final fate of the original Event Horizon crew. What really happened to Captain Kilpack and the first crew as their ship journeyed across a nightmarish realm of torments beyond imagining? Abandon all hope as demonic forces - led by Paimon, the eyeless King of Hell - unleash agony and pure evil upon the crew in a gripping story.

Christian Ward expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "It's a huge privilege to be handed the keys of such a beloved film, one I take very seriously and I have some extremely exciting things up my sleeve. Big gory swings will be happening. You'll never see the film in the same light again."

Jones added, "I think what Christian's laying out and adding to the lore is going to surprise people. It's certainly given me a lot of gnarly, visceral stuff to chew on visually, which is always fun and knowing that this is being done directly in collaboration with the team behind the film certainly helps lock things in as something fans of the film will want to explore with us."

For a deeper dive into the Event Horizon franchise, be sure to read our retrospective on the film's 25th anniversary.