Even the most casual of horror fan at this point is familiar with the concept of the Final Girl. The sole survivor left after a killer’s rampage through everyone around her, the Final Girl has been a staple of slashers and thrillers since the late ’70s. But what happens to the Final Girl after it’s all over? That’s where The Very Final Last Girls, a new graphic novel coming from Darby Pop Publishing later this year, picks up. Written and lettered by Josh Eiserike, with art by Z. Crockett and Andres Barrero and colors by Michael Woods, the book follows one particular Final Girl in the aftermath of her experiences as she encounters new horrors and threats. Siya Oum provides the cover for graphic novel’s cover.
Here’s how Darby Pop describes The Very Final Last Girls:
For teenager Megan Williams, who has just lost her family to a zombie attack, life as she knows it, is over. Rescued after witnessing unspeakable horrors, Megan is taken to a secret facility housing a rehab program for girls who survive what is known as “metaphysical phenomena.” Because—news flash—every scary story you’ve ever heard…from werewolves to demons, psychos to slashers… is true. And it’s the government’s job to keep the public in the dark.
But, Megan is not one to play nicely with others, especially when she believes there’s something the agency spooks aren’t telling her about her kid sister. Or the trail of fresh corpses leading right to Megan’s door…
The Very Final Last Girls is the latest work from Josh Eiserike, the Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist of Class of ’99, and his latest collaboration with Z. Crockett. I was a big fan of their series Anyone But Virginia from back in the early ’00s, so I’m excited to see them putting out another book. Based on Eiserike’s website The Very Final Last Girls began its life as a series called Dead Last, which is a killer name, though not as immediately indicative of what the book’s about as the current title is.
In a statement announcing the new book, Eiserike, Crockett, and Barrero expressed their enthusiasm at working with Darby Pop to get the story into readers’ hot little hands:
“Z. and I have been making comics together since we met over 15 years ago at the University of Missouri, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to continue that collaboration with The Very Final Last Girls,” explained Josh Eiserike. “We have been quietly working on this for about a decade. Then, Andres Barrero joined us and proved to have a keen eye for detail, emotion, and both scary and funny stuff that works very well within the story! We are absolutely thrilled to finally bring it to life with the help of the entire Darby Pop team.”
“I’ve known Josh Eiserike since college and I’ve always admired his ability to write interesting characters and crisp, believable dialogue,” said Z. Crockett (she/her). “I very much enjoy bringing his creations to life and to readers everywhere.”
“Josh approached me to work on the last part of the book; when he told me it was “terror,” I accepted immediately,” said artist Andres Barrero (he/him). “Working with Josh and the Darby Pop team has been a pleasure, the work environment has been very professional and respectful, and I can’t wait to see the book published!”
Check out a seven-page preview of interiors from the 162-page graphic novel below. The Very Final Last Girls is due out in stores on Wednesday, June 29th.
