It may be the end of 2017 but AfterShock is setting up some of what we’ll see coming summer 2018 with the announcement of Relay. The new project is set for a July debut where it’ll come from writer Zac Thompson, making his debut with the publisher, coming from a story he worked on with Donny Cates. Andy Clarke is on board for the artwork for what’s described as “Equal parts The Fifth Element and Philip K Dick” as it’s an exploration of monoculture, identity, and the deceptive nature of legend set in a thriving future where humanity forcibly assimilates new worlds.
Check out the cover to the right and some preview pages below!
“AfterShock is an incredibly welcoming family that is committed to publishing the best books in the comic market,” said Zac Thompson. “Honestly, working with them on Relay has been nothing short of a writer’s dream. I’ve brought them insane ideas that I thought would never fly and every single time they are met with optimism and a commitment to making it work within the narrative. My scripts have been long and overly detailed and every step of the way that intricate level of detail can be felt on the page and you can feel it looking at this book. It’s a god-damn beautiful thing and that’s because AfterShock cared about every single page, every step of the way. I couldn’t think of a better home for Relay.”
“Relay is in many ways a tribute to the science fiction worlds that inspired me as I was growing up,” Thompson continued. “The best thing I can compare it to is Paul Verhoeven’s TOTAL RECALL. There’s a brain to this book beneath the action and the world we’ve created that mirrors our own. It’s something that evokes a lot of our modern fears about society, leadership, and control and puts them in a really colorful and detailed world. Anyone who saw BLADE RUNNER 2049 is going to be right at home with RELAY. People should definitely throw it on their pull because it’s unlike any other science fiction book out there. I promise you we’re dealing with some insane shit and by the end of every issue you’ll have no idea where we’re headed next.”
Plot Concept: A perfect future of intergalactic travel and community. Every newly discovered planet is unified culturally through a monolithic structure known as the Galactic Relay. Although the towering monument is meant to inspire conformity of ideas, technology, and progress – many resent the foreign structure. Jad Carter, a Relay employee, must keep the peace and act as an emissary to new civilizations. But when he finds the Relay’s mythological creator, Hank Donaldson, his idea of reality and the universe shatters.
