Draft:Crownsville
| Crownsville | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Oni Press |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | 2025 |
| No. of issues | 5 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Rodney Barnes |
| Artist | Elia Bonetti |
Crownsville is a five-issue horror comic book miniseries written by Rodney Barnes and illustrated by Elia Bonetti. It follows three strangers brought together by a mysterious death at the modern-day shuttered Crownsville State Hospital. The series received positive reception and won the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics.
Plot
[edit]Taking place in the modern day, the story involves a death at the closed Crownsville State Hospital that gets labelled a suicide. Three men are brought together by the death; Todd Hicks, a security guard that had recently started working at the former hospital; Paul Blair, a reporter and the son of one of the hospital's nurse; and Mike Simms, a detective hunting down a trail of homicides.[1][2][3]
Background
[edit]Barnes' grandmother worked as a nurse at the real-life Crownsville State Hospital.[4][5]
Reception
[edit]Reviews for the series were positive.[6][7] AIPT Comics praised the art, especially the horror imagery in the first issue's back half.[2]
| Year | Award/Honor | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics | Won | [8] |
| Eisner Award for Best Limited Series | Nominated | [9] |
References
[edit]- ↑ Schaidler, John (2025-11-11). "Rodney Barnes Exhumes Real-World Horror in "Crownsville"". Twin Cities Geek - MN Geek Culture Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- 1 2 Jennings, Collier (2025-11-04). "'Crownsville' #1 draws on horrors imagined and real". AIPT. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Hutzell, Rick (2025-11-06). "7 things in Annapolis: Comic book retells Crownsville tragedy". The Banner. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Brooke, David (2025-08-12). "Exclusive interview: Rodney Barnes on the real-life horrors behind Oni Press' 'Crownsville'". AIPT. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Schaidler, John (2025-11-11). "Rodney Barnes Exhumes Real-World Horror in "Crownsville"". Twin Cities Geek - MN Geek Culture Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ "Crownsville #1 Review: Horror Rooted in Forgotten Pain". 2025-10-30. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Smithyman, Tom. "Advance Review: 'Crownsville' #1 Explores A Frightening Man-Made Horror Story". Comicon.
- ↑ Chiu-Tabet, Christopher (2026-08-01). "SDCC '26: CROWNSVILLE wins the 11th annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Puc, Samantha (2026-07-25). "SDCC '26: Announcing the 2026 Eisner Award winners". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-02.