AfterShock Comics have announced “Artemis and the Assassin,” a new series by writer Stephanie Phillips, artists Meghan Hetrick and Francesca Fantini, colorist Lauren Affe, and letterer Troy Peteri debuting in March 2020. The comic book tells the story of time traveling mercenaries sent to disrupt historical moments by assassinating key figures of the past. The top mercenary of the agency, Maya, is sent to World War II to kill Virginia Hall, a deadly spy carrying plans with details on the invasion of Normandy. After they meet, Maya and Virginia’s circumstances change and the two lead characters set off on a time traveling adventure.
Writer Stephanie Phillips cites classic pulp hero team-ups as an inspiration behind the story of “Artemis and the Assassin.” Phillips says, “I’m a fan of old pulps and was initially inspired by unexpected team-ups, like Doc Savage and The Shadow. There is definitely a lot of pulpy action throughout the story, but I also wanted to take that a step further and add my own mythology to the world of ‘Artemis and the Assassin.’”
On having two distinct artistic styles on the book with two different artists, Phillips says in the press release, “I love working with both Meghan Hetrick and Francesca Fantini. Creating these characters and this world has been a super collaborative process with both artists. Writers always have a vision in their mind’s eye for what everything will look like, but both Francesca and Meghan exceeded my expectations. They really made everything come to life, and I’m really proud of what we’ve created.”
“Artemis and the Assassin” #1 is set to release March 18, 2020 and appears to be a part of AfterShock’s new publishing initiative to price first issues at $4.99 and include bonus material.
