AfterShock has announced “Dark Ark” from writer Cullen Bunn (“The Sixth Gun,” “X-Men: Blue”) and artist Juan Doe (“Wolverines,” “American Monster”) will arrive on shelves on September 20th. The series will provide a new take on a familiar biblical story: Noah has been tasked by “the Creator” to build an ark to save his family and the animals of the world. However, the sorcerer Shrae has been asked to do something a bit different by a much darker power: build his own ark and save the unnatural creatures of the world. Vampires, dragons and a myriad of other mythical creatures must inhabit this vessel in order to survive.
This is where things get interesting, as Bunn describes the story:
“These are creatures of nightmare and legend, and they don’t get along at all. It’s a murder mystery. It’s packed with intrigue and treachery and double-crossing. It’s the story of one man’s quest for redemption… while helping to preserve the worst beasts in the world. And it’s even got a little romance… some heartwarming, some very disturbing.”
Both Doe and Bunn have had other projects at AfterShock, with Bunn’s similarly-historical “Unholy Grail” launching this summer with artist Mirko Colak, and Doe having illustrated both “American Monster” with Brian Azzarello and “World Reader” with Jeff Loveness. Bunn is no stranger to horror and, based on his previous work, is really good at telling nasty stories where his characters are put through the ringer. Doe translates that sort of pain and suffering incredibly well, so this book seems like nice fit for the two creators. Below are three preview pages from the first issue, as well as two covers for the first issue.
