Charles Soule & Will Sliney Preview 'The Cold Witch' —A Chilling New Chapter in the Shrouded College Universe

‘The Cold Witch’ joins Hell to Pay and The Bloody Dozen in the Shrouded College shared universe!

New York Times bestselling author Charles Soule (Eight Billion Genies, The Lucky Devils, Star Wars, Daredevil) is re-teaming with artist Will Sliney (The Rise of Kylo Ren, Spider-Man) for 5-issue miniseries The Cold Witch.

Published by Image Comics, The Cold Witch has an incredibly exciting premise. Dubbed as ‘John Wick with zombies,’ it follows a wronged woman who goes to unimaginable lengths to avenge her murdered partner. The comic takes place in the Shrouded College continuity, one of the most exciting shared universes in comics at the moment. In fact, a Shrouded College TV show is in very early days of development.

In a statement, writer Soule shared his joy of seeing the Shrouded Universe continue to grow and develop. “Seeing the Shrouded College universe grow with each new story has been one of the great joys of my writing career. Building this horror-adventure saga from scratch alongside Will Sliney, finding ways for each new chapter to be amazing on its own but part of the larger whole… and seeing fans start to understand what we’re doing and come on board… it’s the best,”

He continued:

“The Cold Witch is our third chapter after Hell to Pay and The Bloody Dozen, and this is where the pieces really start to come together for the larger story. It’s a revenge piece set on the frozen steppes with cool folklore horror elements, and I think it’s our best yet. Lean, mean, and paced like lightning, it’s both a great starting point if this is your first Shrouded College story and a fantastic return to the universe if you’re already a fan.”

Artist Will Sliney added:

“Charles is really pushing me on this one with his scripts. While this book still delivers the high-stakes action and supernatural spy escapades we’ve come to expect from the Shrouded College, this time, our collaboration plunges even deeper into the shadows. The Cold Witch doesn’t just flirt with horror—it embraces it fully, dragging us into something far more chilling and unrelenting. Violet’s journey is one of pure, ice-cold revenge, and every step she takes is more ruthless than the last. There’s no turning back for her, and as I bring her story to life on the page, I find myself drawing things that send shivers down my spine. What she’s doing… and what I have to illustrate to capture it… is some of the most unsettling, eerie, and downright terrifying work I’ve ever tackled. This book isn’t just dark—it’s pitch black, and I can’t wait for readers to step into the cold with us.”