The Voice Said Kill Preview: Everything You Need to Know

Image Comics is no stranger to prestige mini-series, and their upcoming title The Voice Said Kill
might be one of the most gripping yet. Launching July 23, 2025, this four-issue thriller from
writer Si Spurrier (Hellblazer, Coda) and artist Vanesa Del Rey (Scarlet Witch, Redlands) blends
crime noir, maternal horror, and rural suspense in a darkly atmospheric tale set deep in the
Louisiana bayou.

If you’re a fan of chilling character studies, psychological thrillers, and stylized storytelling, The
Voice Said Kill is already shaping up to be a must-read. Here’s everything you need to know
ahead of the series debut.

A Southern Gothic Crime Thriller

The Voice Said Kill follows the harrowing journey of Marie, a heavily pregnant park ranger
whose life takes a deadly turn. After a mysterious message compels her to kill, she finds herself
at the center of a spiraling web of violence, hallucination, and survival. She’s joined by two other
characters; an aging crime matriarch and a hallucinating hunter as their paths collide in a deadly
showdown across the swamps.

Writer Si Spurrier describes the series as Fargo meets Deliverance. A modern Southern gothic
soaked in dread, desperation, and female rage. It’s a brutal and darkly poetic story where survival
hinges not just on physical strength, but on mental clarity and maternal instinct. Unlike
traditional revenge thrillers, The Voice Said Kill isn’t just about blood and bullets, it’s about the
psychic toll of violence and legacy.

The Art: Visceral, Hypnotic, and Bold

Vanesa Del Rey’s art is the soul of this series and it’s already being hailed as some of her best
work. Known for her expressionistic style, Del Rey uses harsh shadows, fluid brushwork, and

surreal flourishes to create a moody, almost psychedelic atmosphere. The bayou is rendered as
both a real place and a mental labyrinth, full of haunting trees, thick fog, and dangerous secrets.

A standout sequence teased in previews shows two women speaking in the woods as a cloud of
cigarette smoke takes on symbolic shapes, visualizing the unspoken tension between them.
According to Del Rey, this blend of abstract storytelling and grounded emotion is at the heart of
the series especially as one character’s perceptions are warped by psychedelic influence.

The visual language of The Voice Said Kill will likely draw comparisons to works like Black
Hole, Outcast, or even Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. It’s gritty but not
grimy, dark but never dull.

A Story Rooted in Female Perspective

While The Voice Said Kill is very much a thriller, it’s also a deep dive into maternal psychology.
Spurrier has made it clear that this isn’t a story about stereotypical revenge. It’s about the primal,
often contradictory instincts of protection, fear, and fury. Marie and her adversary, both women
and mothers, embody different sides of the same coin. Their conflict is not just physical, but
ideological.

In a genre often dominated by male perspectives, the focus on motherhood, legacy, and
internalized violence gives The Voice Said Kill a fresh, unsettling voice. Expect tension, moral
ambiguity, and characters who feel real in all their messy complexity.

Four Issues, High Impact

The Voice Said Kill is structured as a four-issue limited series, with each issue offering more
pages than a typical monthly comic. This gives the creative team room to breathe, with each
installment is described as “dense” and “novella-like,” allowing the story to build slowly and
linger in each scene.

Spurrier has hinted that the ending will be powerful, memorable, and emotionally devastating
extension of the tension and moral questions raised throughout. While it’s unclear whether the
story will remain self-contained or lead to future exploration, it’s already clear that The Voice
Said Kill will stand as a complete, haunting tale on its own.

The Voice Said Kill #1 hits shelves on July 23, 2025. Don’t miss it.