The team behind Descender and Ascender is back with their darkest story yet.

Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen announced Crowbound, a new ongoing series launching September 2 from Image Comics. The dark fantasy follows Rose, a factory worker whose daughter Ava is taken a year before she’s supposed to join the workforce. To get her back, Rose makes a deal with an ancient Scarecrow Queen.

The world they’ve built is bleak. A massive Factory cuts the world in two, with only desolate settlements, submerged villages, and deadly swamps left in its shadow. No one knows what’s on the other side.

“Crowbound is the darkest book Dustin and I have done together but still filled with heart and hope,” Lemire said. “It’s been rewarding building the expansive southern gothic sci-fi world of Crowbound and we can’t wait to unleash it on readers.”

Nguyen added he’s excited to explore new storytelling methods with Lemire again.

Image publisher Eric Stephenson called it one of the most “darkly beguiling” debuts he’s read, saying it “gets better with each issue.”

Think The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Road with Kill Bill revenge and Pan’s Labyrinth darkness. For indie comic fans who love when proven creators swing big, this one’s worth watching.