BOOM! Studios has announced a new title about conspiracies surrounding the Kennedy assassination, Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body. Written by Christopher Cantwell (Iron Man, United States of Captain America) - who recently revealed that his Iron Man will become a cosmic god - with art by Luca Casalanguida (known for his work on Lost Soldiers and Scout's Honor), this book has been described as a crime thriller series with a cast of oddball characters.
The senior editor of BOOM! describes the story as one the creative team was "born to tell," with Texas native Cantwell treating this as a bit of a "love letter" to his home state. BOOM! has been putting out a variety of new and exciting titles in recent years, including original works like BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney as well licensed works like Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers. Some of their other recent releases, such as The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr, are similar to Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body, in the sense that they are a five-issue limited release.
Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body dives into conspiracies surrounding President John F. Kennedy's assassination feet-first, by introducing readers to a rag-tag group of "useful idiots" brought together to clean up Oswald's body. The group includes a failed G-man (who still acts like a G-man), a Civil Rights activist ready for revolution, a one-time car thief who idolizes Buddy Holly, and Wisconsinite wannabe cowboy. These four disparate souls are brought together to help clean up after Kennedy's assassination and, most importantly, deal with Lee Harvey Oswald's body. Comics readers love comic book fans love weird team-ups, so this rag-tag assembly of people dealing with a massive conspiracy is right on target for many readers. Check out some of the artwork below.
In the official press release, Cantwell says, "As a Dallas native and born obsessive, the Kennedy assassination and its infinite mysteries have often occupied my stray thoughts.” There is certainly something engaging about conspiracy theories - the ones featured in Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body touch on everything from the mafia to a second gunman and a government cover-up - and major events in history are ripe with them. Still further, conspiracies are ample fodder for comics and provide a unique way of looking at not only historical events but the present day as well.
Casalanguida's artwork is enhanced by Giada Marchisio's colors, which bring a muted Texan vibe to the book. With such an array of characters included in the story - and Cantwell's assertion that readers will love, love to hate, and be sometimes hilariously confounded by" them - it is certainly interesting to see where this story will go. Readers will be familiar with the inciting incident - Kennedy's assassination - and perhaps even some of the possibly true conspiracies surrounding it, but with such a unique group of protagonists, readers are sure to get a completely unexpected take on what they thought they knew about this historical event.
Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body comes out in November 2021.