The Slasher’s Apprentice
(W) Justin Richards (A) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin
Riley, a horror-obsessed podcaster with a slasher villain fixation, is seeking a new career path: Helping her favorite legendary slasher, The Hopton Valley Killer, regain their long-lost notoriety while learning the ropes herself.
The Slasher’s Apprentice #5
(W) Justin Richards (A/CA) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin
With /Killer’s sights now aimed directly at Hopton Valley Killer, Riley must attempt to save her mentor’s life and legacy from being slashed out. As the duo attempt to lay a trap of their own, they will be confronted with the pains of the past as one final showdown determines the future fate of slashing as we know it.
The Slasher’s Apprentice #5
(W) Justin Richards (A/CA) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin
With /Killer’s sights now aimed directly at Hopton Valley Killer, Riley must attempt to save her mentor’s life and legacy from being slashed out. As the duo attempt to lay a trap of their own, they will be confronted with the pains of the past as one final showdown determines the future fate of slashing as we know it.
Mad Cave Studios invites readers to sharpen their blades and press “record” with the release of The Slasher’s Apprentice Vol. 1 trade paperback collection. Created by Justin Richards, Val Halvorson, Rebecca Nalty, and Buddy Beaudoin, this first collected volume delivers a chilling yet darkly funny exploration of fandom gone too far.
Riley, a horror-obsessed podcaster with a lifelong slasher fixation, is ready for a career pivot: helping her favorite legendary villain—The Hopton Valley Killer—regain their long-lost notoriety. As Riley dives deeper into the art of the kill, she discovers that idolizing a murderer is easier than surviving their mentorship.
Richards and Halvorson have been a team since their breakout on Finger Guns, bonding over late-night horror marathons, video games, and a shared love of Nine Inch Nails. During the pandemic they traded story beats and scares, laying the groundwork for a project that would push the slasher genre in new directions. When the idea for The Slasher’s Apprentice surfaced, Richards brought Halvorson in from day one, co-writing a series that honors classic horror while carving out something entirely their own.
It’s thrills and chills to creep up your spine—The Slasher’s Apprentice Vol. 1 drops October 28, 2025.
The Slasher’s Apprentice #4
(W) Justin Richards (A/CA) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin
Change is inevitable. An ending. A new beginning. Everything in between is merely an obstacle. A weed to be plucked out. Stay tuned.’ — A mysterious new killer is disrupting the scene by targeting other slashers that they deem irrelevant. Will Riley and HVK be able to stay ahead of the innovation curve and stay off this new killer’s radar? Or is it too late to teach this old lion some new tricks?
The Slasher’s Apprentice #3
(W) Justin Richards (A) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin
Riley takes center stage as Hopton Valley Killer agrees to let her plan their next spree. Will she make the cut? Or is it curtains for Riley’s dream of murderous glory?
The Slasher’s Apprentice #2
(W) Justin Richards (A) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin
When Riley doesn’t give them much of a choice, the Hopton Valley Killer springs into murderous action, putting Riley to the test as she must dive knife-first into assisting with taking out an entire frat party. As HVK seems set to prove why they’re one of the greats, Riley seeks to prove she’s worthy to follow in their footsteps.
Riley, a horror-obsessed podcaster with a slasher villain fixation, is seeking a new career path: Helping her favorite legendary slasher, The Hopton Valley Killer, regain their long-lost notoriety while learning the ropes herself. The Slasher’s Apprentice #1 kicks off an interesting concept that plays off the popularity of true crime podcasts with a twist.
There seems to be a resurgence of the slasher genre lately both in film and comics. In comics especially, the concept has taken some interesting directions by adding new concepts to the concept. The Slasher’s Apprentice #1 is an example of that blending the popular horror type and adding in an obsessed true crime podcast aspect. Co-created by Justin Richards and Val Halvorson, the comic is an interesting start that, like the resurgence of the Scream franchise, updates details for today’s modern world.
We’re introduced to Riley and her podcast as well as the trauma and experience that led to it. Riley focuses in on serial killers who have more in common with Freddy and Jason than they do the real world versions of them. As the story progresses, it’s clear that Riley is more than obsessed with her latest subject, discussing history, but also tracking down likely targets, and then the killer him/her/itself. Riley uses simple technology to track the killer and narrow down where they likely are so that she can go and confront the killer. Not to stop them, but instead to be their apprentice. Riley isn’t the “final girl” in the traditional sense but might instead be the killer’s latest tool. Richards hints as to why Riley might be interested in joining her obsession in killing but true motivations aren’t quite laid out.
Val Halvorson delivers a murderous glee in the slasher’s actions as we get to see creative and over-the-top deaths that work in comics but wouldn’t in another medium. The violence is almost comical at points in that it’s excessive but also devoid of reality. The kills are excessive but that’s what makes them entertaining. Halvorson’s style too makes it all come across as quick and fast focused more on the aftermath than the action. The color by Rebecca Nalty delivers a slight dour feel with lots of browns, reads, and oranges. It’s not a bright and happy color palette. Buddy Beaudoin‘s lettering also emphasizes the action and terror.
The Slasher’s Apprentice #1 is an interesting start. It quickly throws readers into the death and destruction and deftly sets up what’s to come. There’s likely more to Riley’s motivation that’ll come out in further issues but she comes off as a cold and obsessed person that might not have issues killing people. It’s a nice start overall that fans of the horror and slasher genre will want to check out.
Story: Justin Richards Art: Val Halvorson
Letterer: Buddy Beaudoin Color: Rebecca Nalty
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read
Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
The Slasher’s Apprentice #1
(W) Justin Richards (A/CA) Val Halvorson (C) Rebecca Nalty (L) Buddy Beaudoin (CB) Trevor Henderson
Riley, a horror-obsessed podcaster with a slasher villain fixation, is seeking a new career path: Helping her favorite legendary slasher, The Hopton Valley Killer, regain their long-lost notoriety while learning the ropes herself.
As part of Vault’s ongoing virtual convention, Vault Vanguard Con, the publisher announced a plethora of new online events that will take place over the next week.
First, Vault will hold a reddit AMA on the r/comics subreddit tomorrow, Thursday March 19th, from 4:00-5:00pm MST. Fans can ask the Vault team whatever questions they like and get advice on any comics-related topic under the sun.
Then, over the next few days Vault will release a series of special videos from a wide array of Vault creators on their social media channels.
The videos from Vault creators will include:
You can watch the debut video, from BLACK STARS ABOVE‘s Lonnie Nadler and Jenna Cha:
For a limited time, Vault fans can order special T-shirts featuring designs from their favorite Vault comic series, including Heathen, Finger Guns, Money Shot, The Plot, Sera and the Royal Stars, Resonant, She Said Destroy, Submerged, Friendo, Wasted Space, Queen of Bad Dreams, Black Stars Above, These Savage Shores, Fissure, Heavy, Hundred Wolves, Bleed Them Dry, and more.
Further, Vault fans can order very special limited edition Vanguard Con exclusives, including:
A deluxe, limited edition Finger Guns #1 Glitter Variant by Jen Hickman.
A deluxe, limited edition These Savage Shores Gold Foil Edition TPB.
