Event Horizon is back, and it is taking a cue from The Godfather by delivering a prequel and a sequel at the same time. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece The Godfather II is still widely regarded as the greatest sequel ever made. Now, Event Horizon is taking a cue from Coppola with its ambitious new era.
Together, the new Event Horizon: Dark Descent miniseries from IDW Publishing, and its follow-up, Event Horizon: Inferno, serve as bookends for the 1997 cult classic sci-fi horror flick.
Like The Godfather II, Event Horizon is expanding in two directions, filling out the backstory of the franchise, while also exploring the aftermath of the first movie.
Event Horizon Is Back With A Prequel And A Sequel, Channeling What Made “The Godfather II” Iconic
Event Horizon: Dark Descent, Written By Christian Ward; Art By Christian Jones; Issues #1-3 (Of 5) Available Now
Event Horizon was a box office bomb when it was released in 1997. It was a commercial failure, and received mixed critical reviews. However, like many underrated classics of its day, the movie found its audience on VHS and DVD. For years the film, about a starship crew that encounters literal hell in space, was the definition of a “cult classic.”
Event Horizon’s gore made it legendary, but its lore left a lot to be desired. For 28 years, few answers to the film’s many unanswered questions have been forthcoming. Despite intermittent rumors of a sequel film, or a TV series, Dark Descent is the first official entry in an Event Horizon “Expanded Universe.”
Dark Descent has generated a lot of buzz. Fans are eager to spend more time in the Event Horizon universe, as horrifying as it is, and on the heels of Dark Descent’s success, IDW Publishing has announced Inferno, a legitimate sequel to movie, which will build on the original’s story with the added context of the prequel comic.
“The Godfather II” Changed Pop Culture Forever; 51 Years Later, “Event Horizon” Is Playing By The Same Rules
The Prequel/Sequel One-Two Punch
Call IDW’s strategy with Event Horizon the Godfather II maneuver. In 1972, director Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather elevated the gangster movie from a Hollywood punchline to a cinematic art form. The sequel, released just two years later, was even more ambitious, even audacious. Especially when it came to the movie’s pioneering structure.
Godfather II is a sequel, but it is also a prequel, the two time periods interwoven and mirroring each other throughout the film. In the history of modern film, Godfather II is arguably the origin point for American pop culture’s obsession with both sequels and prequels. Consciously or not, IDW’s pair of Event Horizon miniseries are an extension of Godfather II’s influence.
Dark Descent and Inferno are distinct stories. They don’t structurally mimic Godfather II, but together they do capture the spirit of the greatest sequel of all time. That is, it is about more than just adding to the mythology established by the original Event Horizon; it is about reaffirming why that first film was a flashpoint in the history of this fictional world.
“Dark Descent” Finally Reveals The Full Story Of The Event Horizon Ship, 28 Years Later
Dark Descent Expands The Event Horizon Universe’s Concept Of Hell
Event Horizon chronicles the response of another ship, the Lewis and Clark, to a distress signal sent by the eponymous vessel, which has been missing in space for nearly a decade. What the Lewis and Clark’s crew finds is unfathomable cruelty, violence, and madness, as a result of the Event Horizon’s exposure to seemingly demonic forces.
In other words, so much of Event Horizon’s action actually takes place before the events of the film. It is only glimpsed by the characters in the movie, and by extension, the audience. IDW’s Dark Descent comic miniseries offers definitive answers by telling the story of the Event Horizon itself, and its fateful encounter with hell.
Dark Descent is about taking the scraps of horrifying details from Event Horizon and turning it into a full story. As the synopsis for the penultimate issue, Dark Descent #4, promises:
This issue: Learn the truth of the film’s infamous blood orgy!
Meaning, Event Horizon’s most infamous moment, which has prompted decades of nightmarish speculation, is about to be explained in brutal detail.
It is, in effect, the best kind of prequel. Readers might know the ultimate destination, but the journey is still full of surprises, even shocks, that make it a worthwhile story in its own right, as much as a worthy companion to the Event Horizon film. Now, with just two issues left, the question is how Dark Descent’s plot will continue in Inferno.
“Inferno” Is A Direct Follow-Up To “Event Horizon,” As The Franchise’s Future And Past Continue To Expand
Event Horizon: Inferno #1 Written By Christian Ward; Art By Rob Carey; Coming In 2026 From IDW Publishing
Event Horizon: Dark Descent doesn’t mess around. It’s not just a story set in the same world as the film, which tries to hit the same beats and deliver the same recognizable iconography. Dark Descent’s story is just as important to the overall lore of the franchise as the movie. It earns the status of essential companion piece to the film.
The impending follow up, Inferno, is also a direct sequel. According to the synopsis:
In 2040, the starship Event Horizon disappeared. Seven years later, it returned possessed by a demonic entity. After murdering its rescue crew, it was blown in half, with the front of the ship left yearning for its heart: a gravity drive designed for interdimensional travel. Two hundred years later, a billionaire brings his own private star fleet to the wreckage around Neptune. He’s heard stories of the Event Horizon and will gleefully sacrifice any number of employees to uncover its secrets!
Inferno will reckon with the consequences of Event Horizon. Just like how Godfather II charted Vito Corleone’s rise to power at the same time that it continued Michael Corleone’s arc from the first Godfather, the new Event Horizon comics develop the story further in two eras.
Event Horizon: Dark Descent #4 will be available December 24, 2025 from IDW Publishing.
- Release Date
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August 15, 1997
- Runtime
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95 minutes
- Director
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Paul W. S. Anderson
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