How can you not at least pickup and glance at a comic with the title Satanic Panic? A horror story based in the 1980s where teens are just looking to have some nerdy fun but end up in the sights of a slasher and the horrible people who run their town. Writer Matt Miner and artist Clayton McCormack deliver a chilling story that blends nerd culture, closed minded people, and slasher goodness into one thrilling comic.
A sleepy 1980s town is stalked by a masked slasher at the height of the Satanic Panic, where every heavy metal record, Dungeons & Dragons campaign and teenage outsider is treated as evidence of devil worship. As fear spreads and bodies pile up, three local misfits become the prime suspects in a series of gruesome murders. Join D&D geeks and Ozzy enthusiasts Naz, Sal, and Terry as they race to clear their names, survive an increasingly blood-soaked town and unmask the real killer before paranoia claims more innocent lives. But in a community eager to blame the weird kids, proving their innocence may be deadlier than facing the murderer.
As a child of the 1980s I was a generation separated from the height of Satanic Panic, being only 4 years old when life moved into the 1990s, but I don’t live under a rock and know it was a weird time to be alive. What this comic, with the iconic name, does is give you a bit of insight to the crazy time, while also giving us the slasher goodness that we could hope for.
Yes, Satanic Panic is filled with the gruesome horror we showed up for, but also shows the horrific things those who are deemed to be considered outsiders went through during these times in places such as this. Let’s be honest, kids still have to deal with this shit in present day as well. Not just the bullying for playing Dungeons & Dragons, but the homophobia and racism that runs ramped through small towns.
These kids are just wanting to have a bit of fun, smoke a bit a grass, listen to heavy metal, and play D&D with their friends, but all hell breaks loose – with them being the victims – and they become the target just for being a bit different. The group of teens become an easy target when your small town police is filled with homophobic and racist police. But there is something more sinister in this town and it goes beyond the closed-minded leaders.
Satanic Panic has the brutal horror moments, but also the more conversational intimate moments that spread the unease and dread. The suspense is lingering and the mystery is at an all-time high as the first issue comes to a close. It’s a dark and moody, slasher-y first issue that has me eagerly awaiting more.
The artwork is edgy, dark and gritty adding to this horror vibe. McCormack’s lines have a tension to them that just deepens the horrors that light within. Oliver Mertz adds colors that are also dark and ominous, rounding out the visuals.
Satanic Panic kicks things off with a debut issue that mixes everyday small town horrors with the terror of a slasher and maybe something more. Writer Matt Miner and artist Clayton McCormack craft a meaningful, yet terrifying comic that will frighten you on many levels. There is definitely something here with this first issue.
Satanic Panic #1 hits local comic shops on October 28, 2026 from Mad Cave Studios.
Satanic Panic #1 Preview
