AfterShock Comics has announced The Vineyard, a new series set to debut in August. The mythological horror series comes from writer Brian Hawkins, artist Sami Kivelä, colorist Jason Wordie, and letterer Taylor Esposito. Kivelä & Wordie provide the main cover for the first issue, which also features an incentive variant cover by Francesco Francavilla.
Here’s how the publisher describes The Vineyard:
THE VINEYARD is a family-owned winery that sows and reaps by the blessing of the great god of wine and revelry, Dionysus. However, the Vines family’s patron god requires complete devotion in the form of four sacrificial killings a year before each harvest. This has been done in unfettered obeisance. But all of that changed when the family’s patriarch, Didache Vines, was in a horrible accident that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
Now, the sacrificial and murderous duties of the Vines family have fallen to wife and matriarch, Maranatha Vines. With harvest season fast approaching and the family short of their annual sacrificial killings, Maranatha’s struggle with her conscience puts all of her family – husband, son and daughter – in jeopardy.
The Vineyard is the first work for AfterShock Comics from writer Brian Hawkins, an editor for Mad Cave Studios who has also had work published by Scout Comics. It’s the latest AfterShock book for Kivelä, who also illustrated The Heathens and Undone By Blood for the publisher.
In a statement announcing the series, writer Hawkins expressed his enthusiasm for readers to experience the story of The Vineyard:
“Ah man, I’m excited for this to come out because the story captures some of the best elements of horror – in my opinion. Horror is at its best when it’s focused in one place or area, dealing with a specific group of characters, and there’s something very personal and emotional at stake. The Vineyard has all of that, and it revolves around someone we usually don’t see a lot of stories about in comics, movies, or TV – Dionysus, the god of wine. And it’s a darker take on the god as well, and dark is always better and more fun! But wait, I would be doing a disservice to everything that I just said if I didn’t also add that the art for this book and what Sami Kivelä has done to bring this story to life and tell it is just incredible. Add in the magic of Jason Wordie on colors and Taylor Esposito’s lettering touch and it’s something that you don’t wanna miss. I’m amazed by it existing in the world right now, haha.”
Check out Francavilla’s incentive variant cover, as well as an interior preview of the first issue, below. The Vineyard #1 is due out in stores and digitally on Wednesday, August 3rd.
