With the debut of his latest comic Excommunicated, we caught up with New York Times bestselling author Jeremy Robinson to discuss his new horror series, and the bold expansion of his comic book imprint Breakneck Comics.
Published by Vault Comics, Excommunicated is a new supernatural horror series from New York Times bestselling author Jeremy Robinson (Infinite, Project Nemesis), artist Tiago Palma (X-Men United), colorist by Manuel J. Rodriguez, and letterer by Jim Campbell.
Excommunicated follows an ardently faithful nun and a festering demon who are excommunicated from the church—and from hell—because of a botched exorcism, and they must work together to uncover a sinister plot that endangers their lives and the world. For those unfamiliar with Robinson’s wider body of work, he’s written over 100 novels over the years, including Infinite, The Others, and the Good Boys trilogy. His work has featured on the New York Times bestsellers list. One of his most beloved works, Project Nemesis, is currently being made into a TV series at Sony Pictures Television.
Excommunicated is one of Robinson’s best and most thrilling works yet. In our review of issue #1, we praised it as a “hell of a debut” highlighting its strong characters, intricately woven plot and gorgeous illustrations. The series launches on May 6, 2026. You can read our full interview with Jeremy Robinson below.
Where did the idea for Excommunicated first come from?
I was raised in the Church and from age 8 – 20 went to Christian schools. And it’s a subject that has fascinated me since, especially the weird parts of the Bible, like Nephilim and Elohim. A few years ago, I discovered a video by The Bible Project talking about how Satan, capitol S, wasn’t actually a name. It was a description of a role. The satan, lower case s, means “the adversary”. This sent me down a rabbit hole of the satan vs Satan research and looking at other cultural shifts away from original texts. This discovery changed my thinking on all things demonic and it evolved into Excommunicated.
How much of Excommunicated is rooted in real theological reinterpretation versus your own invention?
Generally, if the information is coming from Sister Josephine, it is established theology from a Catholic perspective. If it comes from Edimmu, it is mostly established theological reinterpretation…if it can be called that. Because we’re going back to the original texts and meanings, making modern translations the reinterpretations. When it comes to the story’s backdrop, demonic portrayal, and “rules of possession,” that’s all me.
Which parts of ancient history and/or original biblical translations most influenced how you built the world of Excommunicated?
My first introduction to this idea of unraveling original texts was introduced to me via the Bible Project.
(You can watch the video that inspired all this here)
There is a lot of church history included, Vatican lore, and a deeper understanding of the Elohim which are mentioned in the Bible but not understood very well. If I remember correctly, Elohim are like…a supernatural species. Angels and demons are Elohim, as is God. This isn’t a subject I had ever heard of in my 50 years of religious study, so I decided to focus on it. That said, nothing in Excommunicated should be interpreted as accurate or a representation of anyone’s beliefs, because I’m spinning into a story that is much more about the characters, than its religious backbone.
How would you describe the chemistry between Josephine and Edimmu? It’s an unholy pairing, to say the least
At first…combative. Literally. Then…forced. They have no choice but to form a tentative and unholy alliance. But then, things change. They learn from each other and discover things about the church and reality that neither of them knew. But it’s the banter between them that is most enjoyable. A nun and a demon. Can’t get characters that are more opposite, and yet in some ways, the perfect balance for the other.
What was the collaboration process like between yourself, artist Tiago Palma, colorist Manuel J. Rodriguez, and letterer Jim Campbell?
Honestly, it was a dream team. Tiago turned out to be a big fan of horror and The Exorcist, so he knew exactly what vibe I was going for. His portrayal of this pure hearted nun, and vile, frothing demon, are equally stunning. He really captured the emotions I was going for. Best of all, I didn’t have many notes for him throughout. He’s a fantastic artist with great instincts and just nailed every panel.
Working with Manuel was very similar. He understood the assignment and was open to notes from Tiago, whose vision for the book included color. They worked very well together. And Jim? What can I say. He’s a pro. That said, the creativity put into the letters was beyond my expectations. I’ve been very fortunate to find amazing teams for all the Breakneck titles.
Having written so many amazing novels, what pulls you towards the comics medium? And what are the biggest creative challenges you face when scripting a comic?
I’ve been a comic book guy my whole life. I’ve also been an artist my whole life, and in my younger years dreamed of being a comic book illustrator. As I struggled to pursue that dream, I had a realization—all of my art was storytelling. Every sketch, painting, and comic book page told a story. I wasn’t enjoying art as a business, so I kept that for myself and started exploring writing. First screenplays, and then novels, which is where I found success. For twenty years I’ve written novels that are essentially comic book stories without pictures. Any comic reader would feel right at home in those stories.
When my career reached a point where I could afford to pursue comics as a writer/creator, I went all in. A reasonable person would have started with a single comic. I started with five and the creation of Breakneck Comics. And now, here we are three years later with our first two titles being massive hits. It’s a lifelong dream come true.
I wanted to ask about Breakneck Comics too, because what you’re doing is really exciting. What does the future hold? Do you plan to build a connected universe, or are these stories standalone?
We have a lot of amazing projects that are either done and waiting to be released, or currently in progress. We will release two more original comics in the next year. They are One Zero Zero One Saves the World (something I started working on in college) and Grotesque. Thanks to the success of Nectar and Excommunicated, both books are continuing. Nectar – Night of Sorrows is currently being illustrated, and I’ve just finished the script for Excommunicated – Vitrael’s Blood. We’ve also got an adaptation of my novel, Project Nemesis, coming in 2028, which is also being developed for TV by Chad Stahelski (John Wick director) and Sony Pictures Television. On top of all that, I’m writing and releasing three more novels! The next two are Settle Down and Fishbowl. It’s going to be a busy year, but I’m thrilled with how all of this is turning out.
As for your last question… This is the first time someone has thought to ask me, so you’re getting the scoop first. Yes, many of our comics will take place in the same Breakneck Horror Universe (BHU). Nothing is planned yet, but future crossovers are possible. This includes Nectar, Excommunicated, Grotesque and a new book I’ve just started working on, with more to come. I want to give the Universal Monsters a run for their money!
Excommunicated #1 launches May 6, 2026 from Vault Comics. We thank Jeremy Robinson for his time.
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