'Crownsville' Finds Rodney Barnes Tackling The Real-Life Horrors Of Maryland's Notorious Psychiatric Hospital

Rodney Barnes is headed to Crownsville for Oni Press alongside artist Elia Bonetti. The new series will debut with a double-sized, 48-page issue and will be inspired by, per PR, “the real-life horrors of the notorious Maryland psychiatric hospital that preyed upon the Black communities of Jim Crow-era Annapolis for decades.”

“Oni Press is known for publishing hair-raising horror comics and provocative stories with a strong, personal, and political point of view,” said Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn via press release. “CROWNSVILLE is a remarkable piece of storytelling that sits alongside our award-winning books. Rodney’s words and Elia’s haunting art combine to tell an unrelenting and riveting story, one that is as important and it is horrifying.”

In real life, the Maryland-based institution was segregated, and only closed after decades of “overcrowding and neglect— alongside darker, more-persistent rumors of patient abuse and illegal medical experiments.” In the series, Barnes writes about “an unexplained death inside the abandoned hospital.” While it’s ruled a suicide, a police detective and journalist dig deeper, only to discover true horror inside the walls.

“CROWNSVILLE is the supernatural mystery tale I’ve been dying to tell,” added Barnes. “From a childhood haunt born in a place of pain, it’s my cathartic effort I’m thankful to share with the world. I can’t wait for folks to get a look at it.”

Crownsville #1 hits stores on November 5, 2025, with covers by Jason Shawn Alexander, Bonetti, Syzmon Kudranski, and Andrea Sorrentino. You can check those out below, as well as five preview pages. Click for larger versions.

CROWNSVILLE #1 (of 5)

WRITTEN BY RODNEY BARNES

ART BY ELIA BONETTI

COVER A BY JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER

COVER B BY ELIA BONETTI

COVER C BY SZYMON KUDRAŃSKI

FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER

VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

ON SALE NOVEMBER 12, 2025 | $4.99| 48 PAGES | FC

IOC: 9/27/2025

FOC: 10/20/2025

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