Coming next week to Aces Weekly is The Emerald King, by me, Alex Paterson and Nikki Powers...
Hired to follow socialite Eva Vickers around Los Angeles, private eye Joe Parker soon finds himself in the frame for her murder when she turns up dead in his office.
But when Eva reveals herself to be alive and well, Parker realises he's landed in the middle of something far, far stranger than a murder investigation...
This is, without doubt, one of the most bittersweet projects I've ever been involved in: Dave "Bolt-01" Evans was originally pencilled in to work on this, and it's so strange having to do it without him. I know that he was looking forward to seeing what Alex would do with the script, and I honestly think he would've been blown away by the finished pages.
This one's for you, Dave. Hope we've done you proud.
I've worked with Alex before - back in Zarjaz #32, with Dave - so I kind of thought I had an idea of what to expect with the art, but, boy, was I wrong...
I can't really get into too much detail because of spoilers, but Alex brings something truly unique to the table with this, using bold, stylised art that brings a real dynamism to the scenes that keeps the action flowing smoothly from page to page, all the while keeping it grounded in its perfectly captured setting. This is, I think, some of Alex's best work to date, and I really can't wait for the rest of the world to see it.
Rounding out the team is Nikki Powers, who's lettering complements Alex's work beautifully. Again, I can't say much because, y'know, spoilers, but I'm grateful to Nikki for taking the reins on this; she really made the story her own.
The Emerald King is one of the weirdest stories I've ever written, and it's something I'm incredibly proud of - especially with Alex and Nikki involved. You can judge for yourself when the first episode arrives exclusively in Aces Weekly volume 53, which launches on September 20th.
As ever, each issue of Aces Weekly will cost you £6.99 (or £1 a week, if you prefer!), and - with that one off payment - you'll get access to each new episode of The Emerald King every Monday, along with the latest chapters of five other stories.
So, what're you waiting for? Go! Get it!
