Capitalism Is Under Fire In ‘Neptune’, A New Comixology Originals Graphic Novel!
by Austin Gorton
No longer just the eighth planet from the Sun or the Roman god of the sea, Comixology Originals and Dark Horse today announce a new graphic novel, Neptune! This original graphic novel is an evocative tale of revenge and redemption. Written by Michael Conrad (Wonder Woman, Batgirls) with art from debut comic artist Nathan Ooten, letters by Kyle Arends and edits by Zane Barrow, Neptune will be available digitally on September 3, 2024, from Comixology Originals, Amazon’s exclusive digital content line, and arrives in print from Dark Horse Books in bookstores on March 4, 2025 and in comic shops on March 5, 2025.
“Following books like Tremor Dose and Double Walker isn’t easy, I remain quite proud of both of those stories,” says writer Michael Conrad. “With Neptune I wanted to rip something from the headlines and address it in a graphic novel. The result feels far less like “entertainment” and more like observing a car crash, a thing you don’t wish to see, but can’t look away from. Nathan Ooten nailed it, each page manages to be at once a beautiful display of his multimedia approach to sequential art, and a profane representation of quite vile subject matter.”
In Neptune, Corey Harrison is haunted by his past. After finally being freed from incarceration after serving 17 years for a violent crime, Corey seeks the truth surrounding the recent and mysterious death of his brother, only to discover a vast darkness surrounding his legacy. Neptune promises to be a bleak examination of the capitalist machine, and those trapped in its gears, at once violent and beautiful, grounded and hallucinatory.
Conrad continued, “Neptune wasn’t easy to create, the story contains a lot of complex and troubling elements including incarceration, murder, human trafficking, and exploitation. I hesitate to call Neptune a horror story, but it is most certainly horrific.”
“Michael Conrad’s career as a comics writer continues to grow and we’re excited to be a part of it,” says Jeff DiBartolomeo, Comixology’s GM and CTO. “It’s been thrilling to debut Michael’s creator-owned graphic novels – Tremor Dose, Double Walker, and now Neptune – with Comixology Originals. This is a heavy story that deals with complex elements that require a unique artistic touch, and we’re pleased to spotlight the work of a bright new artist in Nathan Ooten.”
