Stranger Things Officially Reveals Young Vecna And Joyce In First Look At 2027 Prequel

Published Sep 9, 2026, 12:57 PM EDT TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments. Stranger Things is officially returning in 2027 with a new prequel that takes fans back to Hawkins, Indiana, when Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, and Bob Newby were students at Hawkins High School. This prequel will also star Henry Creel, the boy who would eventually become the franchise-defining villain of Stranger Things. Now, we have our first look at the character designs for both a young Joyce and Henry. Set to release on January 19, 2027, the upcoming Stranger Things prequel will center around high school seniors Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, and Bob Newby, as well as Bob’s sister Patty Newby and “the new kid in town,” Henry Creel. Set in Hawkins, the story will take place in 1959, decades before Netflix’s hit TV show, and will serve as an official, canon-compliant prequel. Fans can expect to follow the story of Henry Creel as he looks for a chance to start over, believing he has found this fresh start in his budding romance with Patty Newby as the two fall for each other. However, as Henry’s troubled past catches up to him, Hawkins and its residents will find themselves ensnared in a terrifying mystery. The prequel will reveal how Henry acquired his psychic abilities and the origins of the Upside Down, while also bringing back other characters from the TV series, including Dr. Martin Brenner. If this premise sounds familiar, it should, given that this upcoming release will serve as the official graphic novel adaptation of the five-time Tony Award®-winning Broadway play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow. And now, fans can get their first look at the character designs of Henry Creel, Joyce Byers, and Dr. Martin Brenner. Stranger Things: The First Shadow Reveals First Look At Young Henry Creel & Joyce Byers Main Cover by Marc Aspinall for Stranger Things: The First Shadow – An Adaptation TP (2027) On January 19, 2027, Dark Horse Comics will be releasing an 80-page graphic novel adaptation of Broadway’s Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Produced by multi-award-winning Broadway producer Sonia Friedman Productions and directed by three-time Tony Award® winner Stephen Daldry alongside Justin Martin, the play was an outstanding addition to the Stranger Things franchise, and thus it comes as no surprise that it has earned itself a graphic novel adaptation. Author Rachel Pinnelas (I Know What You Did Last Crisis, Creepshow) will bring the graphic novel to life, with illustrations by Jake Bartok (Star Wars, Star Trek) and colors and lettering by Michael Atiyeh and Tyler Smith, respectively. While we are still over four months away from the official release of the graphic novel, Dark Horse Comics has dropped a first look at artist Marc Aspinall’s main cover for the adaptation, revealing the expected character designs for Joyce, Henry, and Dr. Brenner. The main cover features the iconic blue Victorian-style mansion, AKA the Creel House, first seen in the Stranger Things TV series. The background also seems to feature the organic tendrils connected to the Upside Down’s hive mind. Character-wise, the cover features a young Henry, blindfolded with one arm raised and a trickle of blood from his right nostril, alluding to his psychic powers explored in this prequel. Stranger Things: The First Shadow – An Adaptation TP will be available to read for $19.99. The cover also features a middle-aged Dr. Martin Brenner holding a case file. His inclusion on the cover makes sense, given that his early experiments are a major element of the prequel’s story. And then, last but not least, is Joyce Byers, who at this time was actually Joyce Maldonado. She seems to be posed in a way that suggests she has just been startled, and she also holds a note in her hand. Both details suggest her central role in the weird happenings unfolding in Hawkins. While this is only a first look at the cover for the graphic novel, and thus the interior art could potentially be wildly different, especially since the cover artist is different from the lead artist, the character designs will likely remain relatively similar. And, from what we have seen so far, they are 10/10 perfection. The next character design fans will likely want to see the most for this Stranger Things prequel is Hopper’s, so hopefully, we’ll get another early drop before the 2027 release. Stranger Things: The First Shadow – An Adaptation TP from Dark Horse Comics will be available to read on January 19, 2027! Stranger Things