AfterShock Comics has announced Astronaut Down, a new series debuting in June. The sci-fi series, which follows an explorer searching alternate realities for a way to save the Earth, comes from writer James Patrick, artist Rubine, colorist Valentina Briški, and letterer Carlos M. Mangual.

Here’s how AfterShock describes Astronaut Down:

Douglas Spitzer wants to be one of the “astronauts” selected for the crucial Mission Politzer. And just like astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Sally Ride, Douglas is brave, adaptable, and self-sacrificing. He’s one of the program’s best candidates.  

But if he qualifies, Douglas won’t be traveling through space; he’ll be launched into alternate realities on a desperate mission to save Earth from a horrific crisis that has our world on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, it’s a mission where everything will go wrong, where Douglas’s training and very humanity will be put to the test, and where a deep-seeded secret could sabotage everything.  

Astronaut Down is the latest AfterShock series from writer James Patrick, whose previous work from the publisher includes Kaiju Score with artist Rem Broo and Campisi: The Dragon Incident with artist Marco Locati. Artist Rubine has also done work with AfterShock previously, namely Search for Hu with writers Steve Orlando & Jon Tsuei.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Patrick described some of his inspirations for creating the series:

“The absolute biggest inspiration for me was a movie called Possessor, which isn’t that old. And it was purely an aesthetic thing. But it gave this project its, ahem, liftoff. And in the course of its execution, I’m not sure the aesthetic is that close to it anymore, but it was the motivation I needed to get the stone rolling and then it went in different directions. After that, we sprinkled in some Akira and Moebius, stirred the pot, and what came out of that is what this book turned out to be.”

Check out an unlettered preview of the first issue of the series, as well as an incentive variant cover by Andy Clarke & Jose Villarrubia, below. Astronaut Down #1 is set to arrive in comic shops and digitally on Wednesday, June 1st.

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