Basketful of Heads
Basketful of Heads is an American comic book limited horror series written by Joe Hill, pencilled by Leomacs and Reiko Murakami. It is the first series in his Hill House Comics imprint. It follows June Branch, after she discovers an axe that keeps anyone it decapitates alive. DC Comics announced that Hill would oversee and share the writing for a new horror line, Hill House Comics. Hill started talking about the Hill House line in 2017 with editor Mark Doyle. The line was originally to be titled Vertigo Fall, then Joe Hill's Vertigo Fall, before eventually being named Hill House Comics. Basketful of Heads was announced shortly after by Hill, who stated it would be written by him. The first issue was released in October 2019, and sold over 10 million copies. The series received critical acclaim; Hill's writing, the artwork, and the dark humor were praised. Plot During the month of September 1983 on Brody Island in Maine, June Branch meets her boyfriend Liam on a suspension bridge. Liam is a summer hire for the local police department who is finishing up his last shift. While discussing their future, Liam recounts an incident where he had responded to a suicide at that same bridge earlier that summer. June and Liam are stopped at the site of an apparent escape of prisoners from Shawshank Prison. June meets Police Chief Wade Clausen and City Councilman Ned Hamilton. Four inmates have escaped from hard labor duty and are on the loose. Wade discounts the escapees as being real threats due to the non-violent nature of their crimes. Liam offers to help in the search, but cannot due to his employment ending that day. Instead Wade informally asks that Liam and June look after his wife, Bobby, until the prisoners are apprehended. Arriving at the Chief's home, June is introduced to Bobby, her son Hank and maid Gabby. Hank is a student at Harvard who serves as a congressional aide. While visiting the home, June learns of Wade's interest in Norse culture and his collection of Viking artifacts including an ornate battle axe. While dining with the Clausens the group is informed of the death of Noel Flannagan, one of Wade's officers. Wade informs them that he believes that Noel fell to his death attempting to stop the escaped inmates from fleeing using a stolen boat. Bobby and Hank leave to inform Noel's wife and ask Liam and June to watch over the house while they are gone. Later that evening, the pair are startled by a sound of someone entering the house. Liam asks June to hide while he investigates. While hiding June realizes that the inmates have broken into the home. June manages to evade the invaders but soon leaves to investigate when she hears Liam cry out in pain. She is shocked to find signs of a struggle and a severed finger. She is confronted by one of the inmates, Salvatore "Sal" Puzo. Sal has stayed behind while the other