Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard’s Narco #1 sold out at the distributor level and Image Comics is fast-tracking a second printing. The reprint hits shops April 1st with a new cover by Hillyard that pays homage to the iconic Scream movie poster.
The creative team behind Plastic, Plush, Vinyl, and I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer launched another series that moved fast. Narco joins Death Fight Forever, White Sky, and D’orc as recent Image launches that sold out immediately. Retailers are reordering, and Image is rushing reprints to keep up.
The setup is tight. Marcus Wesphal has narcolepsy and blacks out from the slightest surge of excitement. He’s kept himself quiet, calm, and locked away at home to avoid triggering episodes. When he witnesses the girl next door’s murder and collapses, he wakes up as the prime suspect. Now Marcus has one shot to clear his name by outrunning his failing body, reconstructing the moments he lost, and hunting the actual killer before he blacks out again.
Hillyard mentioned he tried to think of a clever pun about passing out but came up blank. Wagner said seeing Narco #1 sell out this fast caught them off guard in the best way. He’s grateful to retailers and readers for taking a chance on them.
Eric Stephenson, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer at Image, pointed out that Wagner and Hillyard have been quietly banging out offbeat classics for the last ten years. Each one visits a seductively strange alternative universe full of over-the-top concepts and oddball characters. For anyone who hasn’t read their work, Narco is the right entry point.
Wagner did an episode of the Let’s Talk Comics podcast where he discussed Narco and shared plans for expanding his “The Materials Universe” of unsettling horror titles at Image. The Materials Universe includes Plastic, Plush, and Vinyl, all connected horror stories that exist in the same world.
The second printing of Narco #1 drops April 1st with the Scream homage cover. Issue #2 follows on April 15th with three covers. Cover A by Hillyard and Stewart is the main cover. Cover B is a Hitchcock homage by Hillyard and Stewart. Cover C is an I Hate Fairyland team-up variant by Hillyard. Issue #3 lands May 20th with two covers.
Digital readers can grab it on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. But the book is selling fast in physical copies, which is why the second printing matters. If you’re a Wagner and Hillyard fan or you just like thriller concepts with hooks this strong, grab the reprint when it drops.
The narcolepsy angle makes the murder mystery work differently. Marcus isn’t just racing against time like a normal detective story. He’s racing against his own body shutting down at unpredictable moments. That constraint creates tension every scene because readers know he could black out and lose everything.
Wagner and Hillyard’s previous work shows they can handle dark material with enough dark humor to keep it from getting too heavy. Narco looks like it follows that pattern. The premise is grim but there’s room for the kind of weird character moments and offbeat dialogue they’re known for.
Narco #1 second printing hits comic shops April 1st. Issue #2 drops April 15th. Issue #3 comes May 20th. If you missed the first printing, grab the reprint before it sells out too.
Beam Me Up Scotty
Born and raised in the city of Miami. Lifelong pro wrestling fan. Been deep in the 'zine scene since ’84, interviewing locals, Hardcore, Punk, and Metal bands. Spent 26 years in the comic book biz and still obsessed with all things pop culture—Mego, Micronauts, Shogun Warriors, Die-Cast Metal Super Robots, you name it. I can go on about comic books and bad movies all day.
