The Damned Deluxe Omnibus Collection

by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt (illustrator)

In the gritty world of Prohibition–era underground crime, the streets are run not merely by bootleggers, but demon gang bosses bent toward decadent greed, gluttony, and lust. Eddie Tamblyn runs the nightclub the Gehenna Room, with a strict no-demons-allowed policy, but he’s also cursed with the unique ability to return from the dead and transfer his mortal wounds to the first person who touches his corpse—an ability that places him in high demand for his city’s princes of darkness, who hold his heavy debt.

Collecting all three volumes of the groundbreaking paranormal noir from acclaimed creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun, Hellbreak).

Genres: Graphic Novels

432 pages, Hardcover

Published November 26, 2024

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would’ve been a 4-star review if this had been a complete story.

[Teoman TURKOGLU · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Damned” looks incredible—but it feels hollow underneath.

The artwork is undeniably the strongest part of this book. The noir atmosphere, the use of shadows, the cityscapes—everything is visually striking. You keep turning the pages, but mostly for the art, not the story.

Unfortunately, the narrative never matches that level.

The plot moves, but it doesn’t build. It feels thin, almost like a skeleton without flesh. There are hints of depth—crime, darkness, moral ambiguity—but none of them are fully explored.

The characters are the biggest weakness:

* The protagonist looks tough and compelling… but lacks real substance
* Supporting characters feel underdeveloped, almost disposable
* Motivations are shallow and often unconvincing

There’s a constant attempt to create a dark, gritty tone—but it comes across more as style than meaning.

By the end, you’re left with the feeling that something was about to unfold… but never did.

This isn’t a story that pulls you in—
it’s a mood that tries to impress you.

And while that mood is undeniably stylish,
it’s simply not enough.

[Estibaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, because while I thoroughly enjoyed the noir atmosphere for this devilish story, it is a bit of a tough pill to sallow to get to the end, and be still so in the dark when it comes to so many things.

For a volume that is dubbed a Deluxe Omnibus, and not even volume 1 at that, these 400 pages were a fun compendium of stories, some of them kind of side ones for that matter, that offer an interesting main plot without any kind of conclusion.

Is this story ever going to be finished? It should because, again, it is damned (pun intended) intriguing, but if you just keep insinuating and hinting, and only half way delivering, then the reader's interest starts to wane off a bit.

Just saying...

[Julio Valentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complete collection of an unfinished story

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent supernatural neo-noir with an interesting story and characters.