Inspired in part by Madame C.J. Walker, Roots of Madness #1 by Stephanie Williams, with artist Letizia Cadonici (House of Slaughter), colorist Alessandro Santoro, and letterer AndWorld Design, delivers an original cosmic horror from Ignition Press.
Roots of Madness opens in 1890, Pre-Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois, with a precocious child named Etta Knight. She pleads with her mother to reveal the secrets hidden in their family’s “notebook of knowledge.” Etta is instructed by her mother to be patient because “good intentions can sometimes cloud our awareness of dangers we’re not ready to face.” As we fast-forward to 1905, an adult Etta is now a scientist and revered apothecary, working hard to uncover scientific secrets that’ll help her community. At her apothecary, she is met by a mysterious Black woman who offers her a scholarship and a promise to help her learn all the secrets of her family’s notebook filled with untapped knowledge.
Roots of Madness is a powerhouse cosmic horror from Ignition Press
Etta Knows Who She Is, and That is Terrifying
With Williams’ background as a research scientist, she blends her personal heroines, such as Madam C.J. Walker, into her protagonist. Williams breathes life into Etta Knight by crafting a strong-willed Black woman who deeply loves her family and community. The passion and need to protect those around her, coupled with her curiosity for scientific exploration and sometimes frustrating stubbornness, leap off the page, enticing the reader. Etta’s journey is almost like waiting for a figurative explosion. You can see it from miles away, yet you can’t stop looking. Readers will be moved to support Etta at all costs.
The story builds slowly with a heavy focus on foreshadowing. There are multiple warnings to Etta– in some not-so-subtle ways– telling Etta to SLOW HERSELF DOWN. This is advice she barges through without a second thought, which would be comical if we didn’t know there’s a cosmic horror she’ll have to face. The pacing of the story is reminiscent of older horror pulp fiction, similar to Weird Tales, building solid tension for what I hope will be a great payoff in the end.
Roots of Madness has a winning team
This team works in perfect harmony to stun the reader’s senses with an immersive, quiet and eerie atmosphere. Forgoing story balloons, Williams opts for primarily dialogue in Roots of Madness to keep readers immersed in this world. Codonici’s art style is reminiscent of recent horror comics like Something is Killing the Children (another project she has worked on).
Santoro expounds on Williams’ and Cadonici’s partnership and works their magic in the art through color and lighting. The restraint of the muted color palette enhances the bleakness of the historical setting. Candlelights are used as light sources, making it historically accurate to the Gilded Age time period. Santoro uses that to his full advantage, creating shadows wherever possible, further enhancing the emotion and mystery of this issue. And AndWorld wraps this project up neatly with crisp lettering. This team works in perfect cohesion, allowing the reader to travel back in time and experience the world of Etta Knight, if only for an issue. I look forward to what this partnership will bring throughout the limited run!
Where does Root Madness go from here?
Stephanie Williams and Ignition Press have a major winner on their hands. It’s the immersive storytelling, the encounter with a cosmic entity in the future, and Etta’s character arc that will keep you heavily invested in this story. Anyone in love with cosmic horror or willing to step into the realm of cosmic horror with a Black woman leading the charge, hear Stephanie’s battle cry in Roots of Madness. As always, buying in-store is great, but pre-ordering comics at your local comic book shop helps even more, especially if we are being intentional about supporting Black women in the comics industry!! Final order cutoff (the last date to preorder a specific comic book) for issue 2 was October 6, but you can still preorder issue 3. Issue #2 will be on shelves November 12, 2025!!
Keisha is an HBCU alumna (1854) and a former educator in Philadelphia with over a decade of experience in the education system. When she’s not corralling her husband, kids, dog, and chickens, she’s active on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads as @theblerdlibrary where she uses QT+BIPOC speculative fiction stories as a foundation to reimagine our reality and Black futures. She also co-hosts a live comic book show/ podcast called Pink Riot! that aims to highlight marginalized writers and artists in comics.
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