Writer: Rodney Barnes
Artist & Colorist: Elia Bonetti
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Cover Artists: Jason Shawn Alexander & Elia Bonetti
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 10, 2025
Paul Blair's mother told him about an incident that weighed down her soul. As he mourns her passing, the journalist wants to tell a story that matters before he retires. Todd Hicks' decisions prevented him from entering the Police Academy. Becoming a security guard gives him another chance to shine. He hopes it will give his family the life they deserve.
Mike Simms dreamed of one day leaving to pursue life as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Instead, the Homicide Detective watches as gang violence and drugs devour his hometown. How will a shuttered mental institution unite all three guardians of their community? And can they do right by the patients once interred within its walls? Let’s leap into Crownsville #2 and see!
Story
The Crownsville State Hospital may have closed its doors. Yet it still claims victims. The latest is Dennis Thompson, a retired police officer who hanged himself while guarding the premises. Todd Hicks had just embarked on his new career when he found the decorated cop’s body. Now, Todd’s wife wonders why she hasn’t seen him in days.
Crownsville #2 begins with a dream. Homicide Detective Michael Simms relives happy times from his youth. Yet as those memories play out as recurring dreams, they remind him of his tragic past. Like journalist Paul Blair, Michael's mother had a link to Crownsville. While Paul seeks a story to help him look back on his career with pride, Mike wants to know why a respected brother in blue hanged himself in an empty building.
As Rodney Barnes sends these men on an extraordinary journey, he also transports them into their pasts. Entering this world of unhappy memories will force both men to confront long-buried truths. But there is a price to pay for gaining dark knowledge. And if Mike and Paul are not careful, it could be their sanity that's at risk.
Art
Elia Bonetti opens Crownsville #2 with a celebration. The distant Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, and amusement park rides glow. Their light infuses the night with energy. As in Jaws, a darkened figure eschews a beach party for the ocean. Moonlight illuminates the waves, evoking the rich tapestry of life below the surface.
Elia Bonetti paints scenes with a limited palette. Colors contrast, while light and dark battle. Silhouettes surrounded by light give way to glowing people shining like beacons in darkened rooms. In Crownsville #2, lines scratch panels, black revealing depth and shadows, and white suggesting characters’ auras.
Marshall Dillon shares memories with black, uppercase letters in lavender narrative boxes, and present-day dialogue in white balloons. When the past comes alive, the spirits of the departed speak into gray-white balloons, while laughter and screams echo through dark halls of the Crownsville State Hospital. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
While addressing how traumatic events affect us in unexpected ways and leave their mark where they occurred, Crownsville #2 reminds us that decision-makers, workers, and observers have a responsibility to report wrongdoing.
Rating 9.8/10
For more see my cover preview of Crownsville #2.
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