All the great artists have one thing in common...they’re dead. A true patron of the fine arts, Mr. Cherish has dedicated his life to scouting and supporting emerging artists, launching countless unknowns from obscurity into industry superstardom. Unfortunately for these young artists, the secret to Cherish’s success is their untimely demise. Nothing makes a work of art more desirable and valuable to collectors than the passing of its creator, and Cherish has refined his ability to orchestrate spectacular tragedies without leaving a trace…before selling his dead protégés’ oeuvres for massive profits. Painter Matty Barnes is primed to become Cherish’s next “hit”—but when the script is flipped on this latest murder, a posthumous twist calls the artist’s fate and legacy into question putting the patron’s empire in the dueling crosshairs of law enforcement and a merciless third-party connoisseur. Writer Christian Ward (Batman: City of Madness, Event Horizon) and artist John J. Pearson (The Department of Truth, The Infernals) put their own life’s work on the page in a highbrow thriller at the bloody intersection of art and commerce! Both creators will contribute a full series of variant covers, alongside a special incentive cover on #1 by Eisner Award-winning artist Anand RK (Deicidium, The Beauty).
Contributors: (W) Christian Ward (A) John J. Pearson (CA) Christian Ward (C) John J. Pearson
Christian Ward is a multi-Eisner winning comic book creator. Currently writing Event Horizon for IDW, as well as having recently written the critically acclaimed Two Face series for DC comics. As an artist he is perhaps best known for Batman: City Of Madness (which he also wrote), Spectregraph (written by James Tynion ) and the cosmic space opera Invisible Kingdom ( co-created with G Willow Wilson). He is also a prolific cover artist for DC Comics, BOOM, Image Comic and others. Ward lives in Shrewsbury with his two daughters, his wife Catherine and pug named Thor. John J. Pearson is an Eisner Award-winning artist and illustrator based in Leeds UK. He is the artist and co-creator of The Patron (with Christian Ward), The Smart Division (with Zack Kaplan) and In Bloom (with Michael Conrad). John has worked on Hellblazer: Dead in America and Batman: Urban Legends for DC Comics; The Department of Truth, Razorblades, The Infernals and Blue in Green for Image Comics; as well as contributing to works published by Dark Horse, Heavy Metal, IDW and Boom! Studios amongst others. He also frequently creates work for film and television, including poster art for Vice Press and cover art for Arrow Video.