By d. emerson eddy — Later this month, AfterShock Comics will be publishing their 100th series. Founded in 2015, they've been steadfastly releasing creator-owned comics that seem to bridge the philosophies of Vertigo and Image. Though they have published a handful of ongoing series, like Black-Eyed Kids and Babyteeth, or the cornerstones of Animosity and Dark Ark, they largely publish relatively self-contained mini-series that delve into horror, science fiction, crime, and other genre work. Including the occasional offbeat take on superheroes. Much of it is uniformly excellent, even when it seems like their books fly under the radar. They've got a laundry list of industry pros, from veterans to promising up-and-comers, creating some truly unique stories every month. Like Vault, they've become one of my absolute favorite publishers currently in the industry.

One of my favorites from the early days of their publishing venture is Second Sight by David Hine, Alberto Ponticelli, John Kalisz, and Jimmy Betancourt. It's a horror/crime thriller about a squatter, Ray Pilgrim, with the ability of remote viewing giving through eating hallucinogenic mushrooms, who used his skills to help the police catch serial killers before everything went horribly wrong. It picks up in the present, long since Pilgrim's heyday, as his daughter begins picking up the thread of a criminal operation ingrained in British society, getting up to all sorts of debauchery.

As you'd expect, the story is fairly dark, though it is peppered with a bit of black humor so the narrative doesn't become oppressive. It pretty much plays the remote viewing angle straight, without any real kind of supernatural shenanigans, and I found that to be a refreshing change. It basically hinges around that one extraordinary ability and the rest of the world is more or less plausible. I think it's partially the London setting and very British dialogue and attitudes, but I get a feel here from David Hine's approach of Hellblazer.

What really helps cement the overall atmosphere of the story is the gorgeous artwork from Alberto Ponticelli and John Kalisz. I love Ponticelli's fine-lined, somewhat angular, European style. It bridges the gap between the more “realistic” styles of a Goran Parlov or Jordi Bernet and the extreme exaggerated forms of Ted McKeever in a style that's absolutely perfect for horror and crime. Kalisz's colors paint much of the world in a diffuse brown, orange, and yellow aiding along the seedier, more disturbing aspects of the story. Jimmy Betancourt's letters round out the team, with some nice inverted colors for the word balloons of one of the serial killers.

Overall, Second Sight from Hine, Ponticelli, Kalisz, and Betancourt will send you down a rabbit hole familiar to tales that attempt to bring light to high society secret societies. What makes it special and unique is the depth to the characters presented, even more than the hook of the remote viewing, and some incredible artwork.

Classic Comic of the Week: Second Sight

Second Sight
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Alberto Ponticelli
Colorist: John Kalisz
Letterer: Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Publisher: AfterShock
Twenty years ago, Ray Pilgrim became a celebrity when he discovered his unique ability to see through the eyes of psychotic killers who were terrorizing London. But his world collapsed around him when he was accused of the same crimes as the monsters he hunted. Now, Pilgrim’s teenage daughter is using her blog to investigate a ring of child abusers that includes some of the most powerful men in British society – men who are prepared to kill anyone who threatens to expose them. In order to protect his daughter and uncover the truth, Pilgrim must reluctantly revisit his past and the twisted path that led to the hotel room the media called The Bloody Chamber.
Release Date: February 15, 2017
Price: $17.99
More Info: Second Sight

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.