On August 5, Image Comics announced the “return” of Warren Ellis to comics with a reprint of Ocean and then on August 11 they announced the were publishing his new graphic novel, Ghost Drive Station. The announcement wasn’t well received by many, as Ellis was publicly accused of sexual misconduct by more than 60 individuals.

In 2020, Ellis was accused of sexual misconduct. Ellis in a statement said he “…hurt people deeply. I am ashamed for these mistakes and I am profoundly sorry,” though much of his statement seemed to disagree with the accounting of events. Some of the victims came together to form So Many of Us. Its goal was to not punish Ellis but to “amplify awareness of a pattern to change the culture of complicity.” They also attempted to engage with Ellis in “mediated transformative justice,” but felt the comic creator took no steps towards accountability.

The lack of accountability is the sticking point, and Ellis is once again welcomed into the comic industry fold. At the time of the announcements, parties involved were silent but now Ellis has spoken up and addressed the issue.

Ellis, in his Orbital Operations newsletter, addressed the situation after plugging his new projects:

A few people have asked me about past events in my life. It’s not my place to pick at it in public or speak for others. I will say that I got to apologise directly to a group of people and offer amends, which I remain very grateful for, and I keep that door open. I learned a lot and still am. I fucked up in a number of ways over the years, it doesn’t matter that I never acted with malice in mind, I hurt people, I’m sorry, and I’m trying to do better every day. That’s all I have to say for now.

So Many of Us last released a statement in 2023:

With the guidance of our facilitator, we asked Ellis to take the steps necessary for community accountability work to begin. During the process, as far as was communicated with us, Warren Ellis did not take these steps. Despite numerous discussions and hours of writing, working with Ellis remained contentious; he and our group were unable to achieve community together. Our facilitator concluded that a community accountability process with Warren Ellis is impossible under current conditions, and we agreed. In October of 2022, in a conversation with Ellis which was conveyed to us with Ellis’s consent and approval, our facilitator discussed this conclusion and our group’s intention to move on from working with him.

Ellis is just one individual with questionable history and behavior that has dipped their toes and seemingly returning to comics. It’s an unfortunate trend of 2026.

If you are looking for resources regarding abuse, including organizations to help victims and further reading, So Many of Us has a wonderful list they’ve put together.