Next month AfterShock Comics will release Dogs of London #1. The new supernatural crime series comes from the creative team of writer Peter Milligan, artist Artecida, color artist Valentina Bianconi, and letterer Rob Steen. Today The Beat is pleased to present an exclusive first look at the debut issue of the series, which features a main cover by Andy Clarke & Jose Villarrubia and an incentive variant cover by Dave Johnson..

Here’s how AfterShock describes Dogs of London #1:

How deep must you bury a body to make sure it doesnt haunt you?  

Frank and Terry are about to find out. They were once members of The Dogs, a feared gang who ruled much of Londons underworld back in the swinging 60s. They thought theyd escaped their troubled pasts, but the past isnt dead – it’s just bashed about a bit and very pissed off. Spanning different times and classes, DOGS OF LONDON is a brutal, bloody tale of violence, love, revenge…and sleeping dogs who refuse to roll over and play dead. 

In a statement back when the series was first announced, Milligan described some of his influences in creating Dogs of London:

“There’s a strong tradition of British gangster movies which are quite distinct from what you’ll find in America or elsewhere.  From the classics like Brighton Rock, Get Carter, and The Long Good Friday…all the way to modern-day iterations like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Sexy Beast. How much do these films glamorize violent thugs?  How much do we care?  These films and these kinds of questions all went into the mix from which DOGS OF LONDON emerged, barking, and fighting and disturbing the neighbors.”

Check out Johnson’s variant cover, as well as the exclusive four-page preview of the series’ first issue, below. Dogs of London #1 is set to arrive in stores and digitally on Wednesday, May 4th.