Writer Stephanie Phillips (Devil Within) and artist Evgeniy Bornyakov have announced a new comic called Descendent, an adventure book that blends conspiracy theories, the occult, and unsolved historical mysteries.
Published by AfterShock Comics, Descendent’s first issue is due out May 1. Rounding out the creative team is colorist Lauren Affe and letterer Troy Peteri, with covers by artist Juan Doe. The book essentially starts with a mystery: the son of a U.S. senator has been kidnapped from his home. From there, it goes down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and government corruption that soon has its protagonists dealing with ancient secrets and dark threats with the potential to end America.
Phillips had this to say about the book:
“Imagine “National Treasure” meets “The X-Files” and you’ll get close to “Descendent.” The story revolves around a conspiracy theorist named David who begins to piece together a mystery surrounding the disappearance of two politicians’ children. What David learns, however, sends him down the rabbit hole of a centuries-old conspiracy, complete with witches, monsters, and a cult, of course. To save the missing kids, David needs to earn the trust of FBI agent Joanna Hernandez and put the last pieces of the puzzle together before time runs out.
Writing this story allows me to blend action, comedy, and some unsolved historical mysteries that have always fascinated me. I really enjoy all of these characters and I am grateful that AfterShock has partnered with me to bring this story to life. Besides, I got to invent a cult, which is definitely on my bucket list of things to do in my life. Kidding… kind of.”
This comic marks the AfterShock debut for writer Stephanie Phillips, who currently has a four-part miniseries publishing with Black Mask Studios called Devil Within, a horror story about folklore and relationships. AfterShock has been busy this year, launching a wave of new series about everything from Frankenstein to vampires living in red states to what it’s like to grow up with a disabled parent. The publisher’s newest book is a dark cosmic romance comic called Stronghold, which debuts tomorrow.
Full PR from AfterShock, complete with preview artwork, follows:
DESCENDENT / $3.99 / 32 pages / Full Color / ON SALE 05.01.19
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Evgeniy Bornyakov
Colorist: Lauren Affe
Letterer: A LARGER WORLD’S Troy Peteri
Cover: Juan Doe
1:10 Incentive Cover: Andrei BressanWANTED:
Information as to the whereabouts of
JACKSON E. MILLER
Son of Senator Carter MillerThe child was kidnapped from his home in Washington, DC between 4 and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.
Address all communications to FBI representative Joanna Hernandez, writer Stephanie Phillips (Devil Within, Kicking Ice), artist Evgeniy Bornyakov, colorist Lauren Affe, or letterer Troy Peteri. All communications will be treated in confidence.
Please, no more calls about secret government conspiracies or ancient cults.
Conspiracy theories, government corruption, and a really good mix of Prince drives David Corey to help solve the mysterious disappearance of a famous politician’s son. When David realizes that the truth is much more dangerous than a kidnapping, he must battle ancient secrets that have endangered the lives of children for centuries. This conspiracy-fueled adventure story looks at the darker side of American history through the eyes of an unlikely team of heroes. If they fail, the American government and its people may not survive.
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON WHAT THE BOOK’S ABOUT AND WHY SHE’S EXCITED FOR IT TO BE RELEASED:
“Imagine “National Treasure” meets “The X-Files” and you’ll get close to “Descendent.” The story revolves around a conspiracy theorist named David who begins to piece together a mystery surrounding the disappearance of two politicians’ children. What David learns, however, sends him down the rabbit hole of a centuries-old conspiracy, complete with witches, monsters, and a cult, of course. To save the missing kids, David needs to earn the trust of FBI agent Joanna Hernandez and put the last pieces of the puzzle together before time runs out.
Writing this story allows me to blend action, comedy, and some unsolved historical mysteries that have always fascinated me. I really enjoy all of these characters and I am grateful that AfterShock has partnered with me to bring this story to life. Besides, I got to invent a cult, which is definitely on my bucket list of things to do in my life. Kidding… kind of.”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON (3) REASONS WHY COMIC BOOK READERS SHOULD ADD THIS TITLE TO THEIR PULL LIST:
“Readers should definitely add this book to their lists because the artwork is fantastic and somehow keeps getting better from issue-to-issue. The combination of art by Evgeniy Bornyakov and colors by Lauren Affe have made my jaw drop on more than one occasion. We have all had a lot of fun creating this book, so I hope readers will have fun reading it. If that’s not enough to make you add it to your pull list… did I mention there are monsters?”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON HOW HER PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND CAME INTO PLAY WITH HER WRITING:
“Along with working in comics I am a technical writing professor at the University at Buffalo. Essentially, I spend a lot of time thinking about communication. When it comes to comics, you are reading images and words, which is an amazingly unique and interesting hallmark of the medium. I am always looking to use these “professional” skills to think of new ways to tell a visual story. Working as a technical writer also helps me to better communicate with my team. I have to somehow take the entire world that is living in my brain and translate that into a meaningful script for the rest of the team. I love the kind of translational work involved in writing comics and then seeing that vision come to life through Evgeniy Bornyakov, Lauren Affe, and Troy Peteri on this project.”
