Daniel Kraus has been known to take on varying topics, genres, and writing styles over his novels and comics. This time with Athanasia he partners with illustrator Dani and journeys into the world of superhuman, blending superheroes and horror to craft a fantastic new graphic novel at Vault Comics.
Forrest Molson is going nowhere. One year out of high school — and one year into sobriety — she’s working with her father as assistant groundskeeper at Athanasia Cemetery, the final resting place of fallen members of the Dynamic Guild, Venture City’s resident superheroes. At her lowest point, Forrest discovers Athanasia’s darkest secret. At night, the cemetery soil bleeds a substance created from the spectacular substances that ooze from rotting superheroes. This ooze becomes Forrest’s new drug — and she’s intent on using her unpredictable new powers to be judge, jury, and executioner of Venture City’s evil citizens. But as she loses her mind to her new addiction, she inches closer to becoming the most evil of all.
The premise alone was something I fell for: in a cemetery where dead superheroes are buried, the soil bleeds a substance that grants fleeting powers to those desperate enough to consume it. From this grim concept, Kraus builds a dark story dealing with addiction, grief, and the potential corrosiveness of legacy. Building a superhero story not based in the big two is not an easy task, but what Kraus does is turn that in a different direction. Something stranger, more spiritual, and far more disturbing.
Kraus knows his way around a graveyard, having not only written a few horror stories over the years, but one revolving around grave robbing. So to see this superhero story take us from saving lives to based around a graveyard was no surprise and truly fitting for this writer. However, what truly makes Athanasia special isn’t just the darkness, but really it’s the empathy. Kraus doesn’t mock the idea of heroism, he mourns it. Bringing something different to the superhero table.
The story wouldn’t be as gritty and equally as intense if not for the artwork by Dani. The chaotic line work adds so much more grit to the story, almost giving the pages texture. This pairing of script and artwork works perfectly together, giving the story a dark edge that is absolutely needed.
Athanasia stands alongside some of the great, dark superhero tales such as Watchmen, Black Hammer, and The Boys as another pillar in the ongoing dissection of the superhero story. This is a tale about happens after the cape is folded and the world moves on. It’s a brutal tale, that is also beautiful in its own twisted way. A superhero tale told through a dark lens for sure. Athanasia by Daniel Kraus and Dani is a must-read for those fans looking for a superhuman story outside of the everyday of the big two.
Athanasia hits shops everywhere on October 8, 2025 from Vault Comics.
Athanasia OGN Unlettered Preview
