AfterShock Comics Announces ‘Dogs Of London’, A Series “About Revenge, Class And The Changing Face Of Crime”

Writer Peter Milligan, artist Artecida, colourist Valentina Bianconi and letterer, Rob Steen join forces for the newest comic book series from AfterShock Comics, Dogs of London, out this May.

“How deep must you bury a body to make sure it doesn’t haunt you?  

Frank and Terry are about to find out. They were once members of The Dogs, a feared gang who ruled much of London’s underworld back in the swinging 60s. They thought they’d escaped their troubled pasts, but the past isn’t dead – it’s just bashed about a bit and very pissed off. Spanning different times and classes, DOGS OF LONDON is a brutal, bloody tale of violence, love, revenge…and sleeping dogs who refuse to roll over and play dead.

Written by Peter Milligan (X-Force, OUT OF BODY, GOD OF TREMORS) and brought to bloody life by Artecida, the Dogs have awoken, and they seek more than mere revenge.”

As well as a first look we have Milligan bigging up his latest series, and what to expect from one of the more creatively conscious comic book writers around and some of the series’ inspirations:

“DOGS OF LONDON is on one hand a brutal SF Gangster story about revenge, class and the changing face of crime and society – on the other it’s a story about trying to escape from the intractable bonds of your destiny.   My first series in America was SKREEMER, a story that used a weird gangster tale to explore a kind of American experience – so I’m really excited to be telling, now, a very different kind of gangster story, one that explores a very British experience but also dramatizes universal themes of love, revenge, violence, and fate.  And dog-bites.  Sorry, did I say dog-bites?”

“There’s a strong tradition of British gangster movies which are quite distinct from what you’ll find in America or elsewhere.  From the classics like Brighton Rock, Get Carter, and The Long Good Friday…all the way to modern-day iterations like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Sexy Beast. How much do these films glamorize violent thugs?  How much do we care?  These films and these kinds of questions all went into the mix from which DOGS OF LONDON emerged, barking, and fighting and disturbing the neighbors.”

As for his creative writing process?

“I usually start fairly loose.  Themes, ideas, things that have grabbed my interest.  This might be triggered by a news item, a conversation, something I read, or usually just something that occurs to me while looking at the world.  I don’t usually start thinking a lot about plot until I have the themes, the big ideas behind the story.  Then come characters and plot.  I guess this transition, from vague ideas and themes to a story that’s dramatized with living, breathing characters is the real challenge – but it’s also bloody interesting.”

Look out for Dogs of London #1, out Wednesday May 4th from AfterShock Comics. Now, onto a first look: