Steve Orlando and Patrick Piazzalunga will explore the death and (faux) rebirth of a superhero in a new series for AfterShock Comics.
Project Patron is “The Death of Superman” meets Voltron, as the powers that be decide to create a “reploid” of their world’s greatest — and now dead — superhero. That reploid is controlled by a team of anonymous pilots.
“When the world loses its greatest hero, those in power fear what we’ll do without him, so they bring him back to life the best they can and replace him with a Reploid. This is the story of the team that pilots that Reploid, the people secretly behind the Patron’s continued heroism, and the incredible sacrifices they make,” Orlando said. “Piloting the Patron Reploid might be the greatest thrill in history, but it comes at a price: total anonymity, and a gig where every flight knocks a year off your life. The pressures on the team are enormous… so when a tragedy strikes at the heart of Project Patron, the world hangs in the balance as the greatest secret in modern history trembles on the brink of revelation.”
Although probably best known for his work at DC over the last few years, Orlando is currently writing Commanders in Crisis at Image Comics and the upcoming Man-Thing 50th anniversary celebration series for Marvel. Piazzalunga has worked for international publishers like Sergio Bonelli Editore and Soleil Editions, as well as for Marvel and DC. They’ll be joined by colorist Carlos Lopez.
“This is an action thriller for the present moment, where nothing is what it seems, so much we feel is real is artificial, and altruism is often greed in a well-designed mask,” Orlando said. “We want to think heroes like the Patron are real, but as with most myths ancient and modern, there’s nothing but men and women behind the wonder. And that might be scary, but it should be empowering. We make the heroes happen.”
Check out the first issue’s cover and some preview pages below.
The new title launches in April.