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AfterShock Comics unchains monstrous new fantasy horror series 'Kaiju Score'
Bolstered by its fresh acquisition this past August for a feature film adaptation by Sony Pictures, AfterShock Comics' new fantasy/horror heist series Kaiju Score strides ashore with confidence on Nov. 25 — and SYFY WIRE has an exclusive look at the giant monster hijinks in the premiere issue.
Written by James Patrick (Grimm Fairy Tales, Death Comes to Dillinger, The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb) and infused with the distinct attitude of artist Rem Broo (The End Times of Bram and Ben, Terminal Protocol), Kaiju Score blends the raw criminal world edge of a Quentin Tarantino movie with the rampaging beast of an old-fashioned Toho Godzilla flick.
In what's billed as the most dangerous heist ever conceived or attempted, four desperate, unlucky criminals band together for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to steal millions of dollars in rare art and reverse their miserable fortunes, or die trying. The single catch is that a killer kaiju named Mujara is making landfall soon and the crew will need to pull off the caper under the watchful eyes of a one thousand-ton creature bent on rampant destruction.
While composing this rowdy tale, Patrick reveals that his main inspiration was the Donald Westlake (written as Richard Stark) Parker novels which centered around the heist.
"Those are a hell of a read," he tells SYFY WIRE. "And from there I think I organically, when it came to execution, was influenced by the work of Elmore Leonard and Quinten Tarantino. Their style always seems to bleed into much of my work. Kaiju Score is a crime and heist book first, the character problems and relationships always being forefront and the monster stuff always the canvas to squeeze as much drama as you can out of it.
"So those crime influences are definitely where it started. And then of course I love Godzilla movies and kaiju movies in general, and I love when that genre is tested and pushed into something more than just a monster movie."
When it came to execution, Patrick hoped to capture something akin to Reservoir Dogs unfolding in some small pocket while a monster movie was going on around it.
"And it did get bigger than that as it evolved," he explains. "As the book goes on, the characters and monsters are thrown together more than I anticipated. When it came to the execution pertaining to the art, I'd initially hoped to capture something more like Criminal by Brubraker and Phillips, but Rem Broo had such a swagger and attitude to his work that I couldn't pass up working with him when the opportunity presented itself, so I changed the book to add more of an Ocean's Eleven vibe to match him.”
Now stride into our expanded 10-page peek at AfterShock Comics' Kaiju Score #1 (Nov. 25) in the full gallery below!
