Pornsak Pichetshote and Alberto Ponticelli will team for Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman, a five-issue miniseries from Image Comics and James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion Studios.
The series is the third spinoff based on the first season of the action/horror comic Exquisite Corpses created by Tynion and Michael Walsh. Jordie Bellaire will provide colors and Becca Carey will letter the series.
Pichetshote, who was one of the dozen writers who contributed to the original “round robin” series, will use this new miniseries to delve into the history of the Lone Gunman and the mysterious golden mask. He describes the series as “Season 1.5,” bridging the first and second seasons while also functioning as a standalone story for new readers.
“We follow my favorite killer and trace the history of the golden mask as well as one branch of the all-powerful 13 Families,” said Pichetshote. “But for new readers, you don’t need to read the main series to enjoy this one. We’ll be exploring one of my favorite horror subgenres: the ultimate ‘Final Girl’ story. What happens after you survive the 12 deadliest slashers of all time, and now are forced to uncover the secret history of the organization behind them and how they’ve shaped the course of America? It’s been fun to take the lessons I’ve learned on the Absolute Green Arrow series to tell a very different story about serial killers and billionaires, one that asks how the victims of their callous actions recover and retaliate.”
The story picks up two years after the events of the first season, as the survivors of the competition try to build new lives far from the 13 Families, but their experiences haven’t simply disappeared. With the legacy of the golden mask resurfacing, the survivors find themselves in danger once again.
“Lone Gunman is my favorite character in the Exquisite Corpses series,” said Ponticelli. “When Pornsak proposed that I work with him and Jordie to tell this character’s story, it seemed like an incredible opportunity to me. I’ve known Pornsak since we worked together on Unknown Soldier, and I couldn’t wait to do something together with him. Plus, Jordie’s colors are always so full of expressive power. I’m working to give the story the right visual roughness, using textures and dirty marks. Doing this in collaboration with the Tiny Onion team is wonderful—they’re truly helpful, I’m learning a lot from them. I’m thrilled to be part of this team!”
The first issue will feature a main cover by Ponticelli and Bellaire, along with variants by Rafael Albuquerque, Leandro Fernandez, Chris Brunner and Sebastian Fiumara. Walsh will provide another variant packaged with a collectible trading card connected to Exquisite Corpses: The Game.
Lone Gunman follows Exquisite Corpses: Rascal Randy, which launched in July, and Exquisite Corpses: Fox Mask Killer, which is scheduled for September. An anthology one-shot, Exquisite Corpses: Book of the Dead, is also planned ahead of the second season.
Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman #1 arrives in comic shops Nov. 4.