AfterShock Comics is getting more new books out this summer for readers to read under the sun with the announcement of The Vineyard. The new series comes from writer Brian Hawkins and artist Sami Kivela with Jason Wordie on color design. Taylor Esposito is handling the lettering for it. The first issue is set to arrive on August 3rd, 2022 priced at $4.99. Check ou the main cover to the right from Kivela while Franceso Francavilla is producing the incentive cover. Check out a few sample pages below.
“The Vineyard is about a family, the Vines, who own a winery that is successful and continues to flourish because of their patron god, the god of wine himself, Dionysus,” said Hawkins. “However, the family’s blessings come from their annual sacrifice – each year they are required by Dionysus to sacrifice (kill) four people as part of a ritualistic practice. Normally, the patriarch of the family and the most devout, Didache Vines, carries out the offerings for the family. But when this story begins, Didache is no longer able to because of an accident that he was in a year prior that left him paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. So, his wife and the matriarch of the family, Maranatha, is left to take on the murderous duties. However, she struggles with it greatly and her inability puts the family – son, estranged daughter, herself, and husband in jeopardy.
“Ah man, I’m excited for this to come out because the story captures some of the best elements of horror – in my opinion. Horror is at its best when it’s focused in one place or area, dealing with a specific group of characters, and there’s something very personal and emotional at stake. The Vineyard has all of that, and it revolves around someone we usually don’t see a lot of stories about in comics, movies, or TV – Dionysus, the god of wine. And it’s a darker take on the god as well, and dark is always better and more fun! But wait, I would be doing a disservice to everything that I just said if I didn’t also add that the art for this book and what Sami Kivelä has done to bring this story to life and tell it is just incredible. Add in the magic of Jason Wordie on colors and Taylor Esposito’s lettering touch and it’s something that you don’t wanna miss. I’m amazed by it existing in the world right now, haha.”
Plot Concept: THE VINEYARD is a family-owned winery that sows and reaps by the blessing of the great god of wine and revelry, Dionysus. However, the Vines family’s patron god requires complete devotion in the form of four sacrificial killings a year before each harvest. This has been done in unfettered obeisance. But all of that changed when the family’s patriarch, Didache Vines, was in a horrible accident that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
Now, the sacrificial and murderous duties of the Vines family have fallen to wife and matriarch, Maranatha Vines. With harvest season fast approaching and the family short of their annual sacrificial killings, Maranatha’s struggle with her conscience puts all of her family – husband, son and daughter – in jeopardy.
