Oni Press is releasing their highly anticipated debut of CALAVERA, P.I. Created by lauded cartoonist Marco Finnegan (Morning Star, Night People), the comic is releasing just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month and is a bit of a stylish take on the mystery genre. 
 
“Our story opens in Los Angeles, while the roaring Twenties are in full swing, Jazz rules the clubs, Hollywood Starlets are the talk of the town, and the Latin Lover mystique is the latest rage,” said Finnegan when asked to describe the series. “At the heart of it all is Juan Calavera, P.I., the best detective in the City of Angels. His mastery of disguise, daring escapades, and steamy romances are the talk of the town until he is gunned down. Five years later, a terrible crime shakes the city… and brings the detective back from beyond the grave. He returns to an LA he doesn’t recognize, with multiple crimes to solve, including his own murder.”
 
CALAVERA, P.I. also features a haunting gallery of covers from the talents of Marco Finnegan (Morning Star, Night People), Ramón K. Pérez (A Tale of Sand), Esteban Sánchez (Cruelty Squad) and J. Gonzo (La Mano del Destino). The comic hits shops everywhere on November 6th though if you’re interested…
 
Check out the premise and the preview pages just below: 
In 1925, Juan Calavera died a hero. After a career spent outside the law defending the Chicano barrios where the police refused to operate, he earned a reputation for fearlessness . . . and a gunshot in the stomach. Now, five years later, on Dia de los Muertos, his restless spirit has been summoned from the grave to help a desperate former colleague unravel a kidnapping all too close to home. With only days to solve the case before he is called back to the underworld, can Calavera reveal the identity of the masked human trafficker known as La Fantasma before tragedy strikes again . . . and solve the mystery of his own murder in the process?
 
 
COVER B BY RAMÓN K. PÉREZ
 
VARIANT COVER BY (1:10) ESTEBAN SÁNCHEZ
 
 
VARIANT COVER BY (1:20) J. GONZO

 

CALAVERA, P.I. #1 (of 4)

WRITTEN BY MARCO FINNEGAN

ART BY MARCO FINNEGAN

COVER A BY MARCO FINNEGAN

COVER B BY RAMÓN K. PÉREZ

VARIANT COVER (1:10) BY ESTEBAN SÁNCHEZ

VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY J. GONZO

ON SALE NOVEMBER 6TH | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

IOC: 9/26/2024

FOC: 10/14/2024

 

CALAVERA, P.I. #1 INTERIOR ART BY MARCO FINNEGAN

Words of praise for CALAVERA, P.I. #1:

“Silent-era Hollywood, snappy Noir dialogue, the dead returned from the grave, pentagrams etched into public parks, and a clown kidnapping children for ransom. Throw in some ultra-stylized artwork this side of Mike Mignola and Charles Burns, a touch of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, sprinkle in some Los Angeles history, social commentary, and you’ve got yourself a dark thriller called CALAVERA, P.I.” 

— Chris Condon, That Texas Blood, Night People

“In the tradition of THE SPIRIT and ZORRO, CALAVERA is a pulp-y fast paced blast from panel one, and does not let up on the gas the whole time! This book drops you right into the action and trusts you to keep up as fists and bullets fly. And just when you settle into the rhythm of the story, thinking you know the genre and what to expect, it throws you a curveball that will leave you needing to know more!” 

Vita Ayala (New Mutants, The Wilds, Submerged)