The souls of the ancient world may have had a ferryman to help them cross the River Styx, but in our modern world? A rideshare will get you there in half the time. Which makes for the perfect premise for Afterlift, the latest comiXology Original from Chip Zdarsky, Jason Loo, and Paris Alleyne.
The story began simply enough in the debut issue, introducing a normal car, a normal night, and a normal woman name Janice Chen... chauffeuring a fare who is anything but. After making a stop on the way to the man's final destination, Janice learns the truth: that she's been drafted as a new kind of Charon, guiding the demon Dumu into Hell -- and bringing the soul of a young woman along with her. That's where our exclusive preview of Afterlift #2 picks up, showing how competitive (and violent) the soul-transport business can really get.
The premise of Afterlift sells itself, adapting the old world myths of ferrying the dead into today's world. All rendered in the blend of mundane and magical Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals) is known for, and brought to life with the eerily unsettling style of Jason Loo and Paris Alleyne. Having been made invisible and far more invincible to the mortal world, Janice finds herself pursued by Dumu's demonic competition, dodging bombs on her mission to deliver them both... and then forget about this trip as quickly as possible. Check out the preview pages for the comiXology Original Afterlift #2 below:
The single panel of what appears to be Janice in a hospital gown will have readers' curiosity piqued, especially after Dumu's bit of advice for Janice, reminding her that smoking is dangerous. It's just another thread pulled loose as this story continues into the second issue of five, and both will be available to readers through comiXology and Kindle on November 20th. Until then, read on below for the full credits and plot synopsis:
- AFTERLIFT #2 (of 5)
- Written by: Chip Zdarsky
- Art by: Jason Loo, Paris Alleyne
- Ride-share driver Janice Chen has enough to deal with, from annoying passengers to overbearing parents. But when she picks up a pair of mysterious passengers who are pursued by otherworldly forces, Janice realizes that her already-terrible day might be headed straight to hell.
- With the demon bounty hunters closing in from all directions, Janice realizes that forward is the only way to go. But whatever is in Suzanna's past, whatever danger Dumu says it would put her in, is driving Suzanna to Hell really her only option?
Afterlift #2 will be released on November 20th, 2019 from comiXology. As part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive digital content only available on comiXology and Kindle, this title is available as part of comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading.