Dracula is returning, but this time the world has already fallen to the vampires. Image Comics is bringing IMPALER back for a new six-issue series from writer William Harms, with artist Christian DiBari and colorist Lee Loughridge joining him for another bloody chapter in the story of Vlad Tepes.
The new series picks up with humanity on the losing end of a full scale vampire apocalypse. The few survivors still holding on inside the Pentagon believe resurrecting Vlad may be their only chance to turn things around. There is just one problem. Bringing back the legendary vampire hunter does not necessarily mean he will save what remains of humanity. Image is leaving that question hanging over the series: will Vlad become their savior, or will he be the next thing they have to fear?
Harms describes the vampires in the series as “terrifying, brutal, and utterly unrelenting,” while DiBari promises a bleak story filled with memorable characters and plenty of world building. The six issue series begins with IMPALER #1, arriving in comic shops Wednesday, February 3, 2027.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF DRACULA STORY
Vampires have destroyed the world, and humanity’s only hope is Vlad the Impaler. Savior or destroyer? William Harms and Christian DiBari bring back @TopCow’s IMPALER in a new miniseries, February 3. Follow the link for more details. https://t.co/Cd2h66FLRE https://t.co/etbbnhVfK1
— Image Comics (@ImageComics) November 9, 2026
For readers who missed the original run, IMPALER first arrived from Image Comics in October 2006. That story brought a historic blizzard down on New York City, trapping its residents as a mysterious cargo ship offshore unleashed a vampire threat. The city quickly became a hunting ground, with Image’s original description warning that New York would be gone in just two nights.
Harms approached the Dracula mythology from an interesting direction. Rather than making Vlad Tepes the source of the vampire threat, he turned the historical figure into a hunter. Vlad comes to the rescue of retiring NYPD homicide detective Victor Dailey and a group of survivors, taking shelter in a bookstore built on holy ground before leading them into a fight against the original vampire.
The original Image run lasted three issues before the series found a new home at Top Cow in 2008. IMPALER VOL. 1 collected those original issues and completed the story with three previously unpublished chapters. The collection also included bonus artwork, unused script pages and an introduction from horror novelist F. Paul Wilson, best known for THE KEEP and the Repairman Jack novels.
Despite receiving positive attention, including an International Horror Guild Award nomination and praise from Rue Morgue magazine, the original run struggled to find its audience. Harms previously explained that the book had trouble finding the right sales numbers, while noting that the team at Top Cow were fans who wanted to help continue the story. Top Cow later launched an ongoing series in December 2008, with Matt Timson handling the artwork.
THE CREATIVE TEAM AND COVERS
Harms returns to write the new series, bringing previous experience from Image Comics’ WHITE SKY and video game projects including MAFIA III and INFAMOUS. DiBari’s comic work includes REVOLVERS, MAGDALENA: REFORMATION and DESTINY GATE, while Loughridge has colored titles including THE DARKNESS and AQUAMAN. His work has also earned a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.
“Impaler has always held a special place in my heart, and I’m thrilled to return to it,” Harms said. “It’s been thrilling to watch Christian and Lee bring this story to horrifying life, and I can’t wait for readers, new and old, to experience it.”
The first issue will have several cover options for collectors. DiBari and Loughridge provide the main cover, while Matt Timson returns for Cover B and a 1:10 virgin incentive edition. Jason Shawn Alexander, known for KILLADELPHIA, contributes Cover C and a 1:25 virgin variant. Dani, whose work includes COFFIN BOUND, teams with Brad Simpson for Cover D and a 1:50 virgin variant. A blank sketch cover will also be available.
IMPALER #1 goes on sale February 3, 2027, at comic shops, with digital editions available through Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Apple Books, Nook, Everand, Kobo, OverDrive, Hoopla and other platforms.
