A new series published by AfterShock Comics promises to toss readers into the depths of London’s bloody underworld, courtesy of the acclaimed Peter Milligan.
Dogs of London, written by Milligan and illustrated by professional concept artist Artecida, revolves around two characters named Frank and Terry who once ran with the Dogs, a gang that ruled large swathes of the London crime scene in the 1960s. A preview for Issue #1 shows off barroom brawls, a hanging, dismemberment, Vietnam War protests and signs of what promises to be a violent revenge tale as Frank and Terry are forced to confront the demons of their past.
“How deep must you bury a body to make sure it doesn’t haunt you?” AfterShock’s preview of the series reads. “Frank and Terry are about to find out… They thought they’d escaped their troubled pasts, but the past isn’t 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.”
Milligan once revolutionized DC’s Vertigo lineup in the 1990s and 2000s with classic runs on series including Animal Man, Shade, the Changing Man, and The Human Target. Over at Marvel, Milligan was responsible for an X-Force revamp in 2001 that relaunched the book as X-Statix, and he also penned the main X-Men book in 2005.
Aside from his mainstream superhero work, Milligan has increasingly become known for horror-tinged tales. In 2016, he teamed up with Leandro Fernandez for an Image Comics erotic thriller called The Discipline before collaborating with Juan Jose Ryp the following year for Britannia, a Valiant Comics-published horror detective story set in ancient Rome. In 2021, AfterShock published two comics penned by Milligan — the occult tale Out of Body and the 19th-century gothic one-shot God of Tremors.
“It’s all about the story, and what’s the best way to explore it and its themes,” Milligan told CBR at the time, speaking on his appreciation for darker themes.
“The occult, the supernatural, and horror are for me the best ways of telling the stories of Out of Body and God of Tremors.”
DOGS OF LONDON #1
- $4.99 / 32 pages / Color / 05.04.22
- Writer: Peter Milligan
- Artist: Artecida
- Colorist: Valentina Bianconi
- Letterer: Rob Steen
- Cover: Andy Clarke w/ Jose Villarrubia
- Incentive Cover: Dave Johnson
Dogs of London #1, by Milligan and Artecida, is colored by Valentina Bianconi, lettered by Rob Steen and features a main cover by Andy Clarke and Jose Villarrubia and a variant cover by Dave Johnson. The British crime tale goes on sale May 4 from AfterShock Comics.