Cullen Bunn and Arjuna Susini's new horror hit LAMENTATION is sneaking into comic shops with a SECRET EDITION Variant.
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The press release follows:

Media Release -- Oni Press – the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book and graphic novel publisher – is proud to reveal a brand-new initiative to officiate the release of LAMENTATION #1 (of 3) by horror master Cullen Bunn (THE SIXTH GUN, Basilisk) and rising star Arjuna Susini (MADE MEN) with the all-new SECRET EDITION program!

Following on the heels of this spring's announcement that Oni is making EVERY ISSUE of its original, creator-owned series fully returnable for retailers who order a minimum of five non-incentive shelf covers (in any combination), the publisher is rewarding retailers who met that threshold on LAMENTATION #1 (of 3) with a free-of-charge, specialty bonus item: the LAMENTATION #1 SECRET EDITION VARIANT, featuring the stunning cover art of Maan House (Nightfall Double Feature) shifted into a phantasmagorical purple color scheme that will not be available anywhere else!

With a can't-miss slate of Oni creator-owned releases set to be revealed in the months ahead – including June's XINO #1, featuring subversive science fiction from creators Chris Condon (That Texas Blood), Melissa Flores (The Dead Lucky), Phil Hester (Gotham City: Year One), Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade), and more – the previously unannounced release of this top-secret LAMENTATION #1 edition will mark the first use of the Oni's new SECRET EDITION program . . . but certainly not the last.

"Over the past 25 years, Oni has cemented itself as one of the most influential and reliable publishers in the history of independent comics. The bedrock of that strength is the support of local comic shops around the country and throughout the world," said President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. "In the months ahead, with the release of milestones like LAMENTATION – not to mention a war chest of other exciting series yet to revealed – we're going to give retailers as many tools as possible to ensure the success of Oni's titles in their stores with full returnability and a battery of surprises, like the SECRET EDITION and more, around every corner."

Told in THREE, 48-PAGE ISSUES spanning May, June, and July, Cullen Bunn and Arjuna Susini's LAMENTATION unravels a terrifying tale of tension, paranoia, and pain as the ill-fated cast and crew of a cursed stage play, trapped inside a haunted theater, play cat and mouse with a masked killer who may be more than human!

After weeks of grueling rehearsals, a new production is set to begin at the famed Requiem Theatre: Razide's Lament, three acts of gothic horror set inside a haunted castle . . . with a story that some say is more than mere fantasy. Under the stern rule of a dedicated but temperamental director, the script seems ever-changing, and, more mysterious still, our lead actress has found herself cast in the role of a lifetime without so much as an audition. Her grand debut is fast approaching – and, with it, a barrage of razors in the night that will terrorize the actors and readers. There is no exit, no escape, and when the curtain finally rises, Razide himself will take center stage to cross the threshold into the unholy darkness that lies just beyond . . .

On shelves Wednesday, May 3 – just in time for Free Comic Book Day – horror stakes its claim at Oni Press with a 48-page dose of fear in LAMENTATION #1, featuring covers by Ringo Award nominee Maan House (Nightfall Double Feature), Eisner Award nominee Yanick Paquette (Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman: Earth-Two), and acclaimed artist Kyle Hotz (Web of Venom, Immortal Hulk)!

?LAMENTATION #1 (of 3)
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by ARJUNA SUSINI
Colors by HILARY JENKIN
Letters by SIMON BOWLAND
Cover A by MAAN HOUSE
(Diamond: MAR231738 | Lunar: 0323ON309)
Cover B by YANICK PAQUETTE
(Diamond: MAR231739 | Lunar: 0323ON310)
Cover C by KYLE HOTZ
(Diamond: MAR231740 | Lunar: 0323ON311)
Full Art Variant (1:10) by MAAN HOUSE
(Diamond: MAR231741 | Lunar: 0323ON312)
B&W Variant (1:15) by YANICK PAQUETTE
(Diamond: MAR231742 | Lunar: 0323ON13)
B&W Variant (1:20) by KYLE HOTZ
(Diamond: MAR231743 | Lunar: 0323ON314)
ON SALE MAY 3, 2023 | $6.99 | 48 pgs. | FULL COLOR

LAMENTATION #2 (of 3)
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by ARJUNA SUSINI
Colors by HILARY JENKINS
Cover A by YANICK PAQUETTE
(Diamond: APR231719 | Lunar: 0423ON263)
Cover B by JOHN BIVENS
(Diamond: APR231720 | Lunar: 0423ON264)
B&W Variant by YANICK PAQUETTE
(Diamond: APR231721 | Lunar: 0423ON265)
ON SALE JUNE 7, 2023 | $6.99 | 48 pgs. | FULL COLOR
(Lunar FOC: 5/14/23 | Diamond FOC: 5/15/2023)

**RETURNABILITY ALERT: Retailers, Oni Press is offering returnability on all three issues of LAMENTATION — please check your Diamond and Lunar order forms and/or online resources for more information.***

About the Company

?The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group is a premier comic book and graphic novel publisher located in Portland, Oregon. Merged with Lion Forge Comics in 2019 but established in 1997, Oni Press publishes a thoughtfully curated line of award-winning original and licensed graphic novels and comic books for readers of all ages. Notable titles from the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group include: The Tea Dragon Society, Sheets, Gender Queer, A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, Scott Pilgrim, and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty™.