Gerard Way and Shaun Simon return to comics this summer with Paranoid Gardens, a six-issue miniseries coming from Dark Horse Comics. The writing team behind The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem team with Judge Dredd artist Chris Weston on the series, which Weston said “combines Kafkaesque nightmares with sweet Silver Age reveries.”
“I’m excited to be back with my incredibly handsome and talented brother-from-another-basement Shaun Simon penning a story that’s really special to us, and honored the masterful Chris Weston joined us to create a visually powerful and emotionally tangible physical object that is this comic,” said Way. “I’m now more complete getting to share something we’ve wanted to for a very long time, and working with this fantastic group of individuals in the process.”
They’re joined by Hellboy colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Nate Piekos on the new series about a care-home filled with aliens, ghosts and superheroes recovering from psychotic episodes.
“Most people dream of rubbing shoulders with someone who is cool, talented, mega-successful and who enjoys a wild rock’n’roll lifestyle. Luckily for Gerard Way the dream came true when he got to work with me on Paranoid Gardens,” Weston said. “It must have been quite daunting for him at first, but once he could see past my notoriety and discover I’m just an ordinary joe who shares his love for the ’60s TV show The Prisoner, we were able to form a joyous union.”
Here’s how Dark Horse describes the series:
Loo is a nurse at the most bizarre care center around. The staff are not entirely human, and the cases downright unearthly. Aliens, ghosts, superheroes, and more creatures plague its hallways as both doctors and patients and the hospital itself seems to be somewhat self-aware. Loo believes that despite a recent failure at her job she’s been given some sort of higher calling in this mysterious place, and decides to rise to the challenge. Along the way, she must fight her way through corrupt staff members, powerful theme park cults, and her own personal demons and trauma to meet this challenge and discover what secrets the gardens hold.
“It’s the perfect remedy for all those stricken with super-hero fatigue and needing a fix of something a bit more mind-bending and unpredictable,” Weston said.
Here’s the variant cover for the issue by Motohiro Hayakawa:
Look for the first issue of six to arrive in stores on July 17.