Aftermath (comics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aftermath was a super hero comic book imprint published by Devil's Due Publishing. A brainchild of Josh Blaylock, the new imprint aimed to establish a new, accessible, continuity-free universe that could lated be expanded into a series of multi-media franchises. The imprint drew inspirations from comic book superheroes, as well pulp fiction, various cult genres and modern-day pop culture.
Aftermath premiered in 2004 with four comic book titles (in order of debut): DEFEX, BREAKDOWN, THE BLADE OF KUMORI, and INFANTRY. Each title was based on a concept conceived by Josh Blaylock, who provided the basic outline and the loose framework which connected those titles. Each creative team was given considerably leeway to develop those concepts as they saw fit. For the initial arc, the idea of the shared universe was deemphasized in favor of giving each title its own identity.
By spring 2005, it became clear that sales were not large enough to support the line. Josh Blaylock canceled all titles with the intention of relaunching Aftermath Universe as a single title that would involve characters from all prior titles and introduce new characters (in essence, an imprint-wide crossover). However, after looking at sales figures, Devil Due's staff came to the conclusion that any attempt to revive the line would not be financially viable. As of this writing, there has been no effort to revive the Aftermath Universe.
Due to the abruptness of the initial cancellation, only DEFEX and BREAKDOWN were able to finish their initial story arc. BLADE OF KUMORI and Infantry were cancelled after five and four issues, respectively.
[edit] Aftermath Universe
In the dawn of the 21st century, in a world not much different from our own, human beings with extraordinary powers began to appear. Their arrival shattered the long-established status quo, leaving humanity wondering about its place in the world. Some pushed the limits of technological achievement to compensate for their physical limitations. Others turned to genetic engineering. The governments of the world used their considerable resources to find a way to use the super-beings to their advantage, and ordinary people who once relied upon their extensive knowledge and skills grew determined to prove that they can survive in a world where their abilities no longer carried their former weight.
[edit] Titles
- Defex (premiered October 2004) - Seven college students discover a way to activate mankind’s untapped potential.
- Breakdown (premiered October 2004) - Jeff Carey, aka Paragon, was the first of a new breed of humans gifted with superhuman abilities. He became the world's first superhero, quickly becoming a celebrity with wealth and fame. That is, until a terrifying moment when his family is murdered by an unknown enemy. After that day, Jeff Carey became a dark vigilante determined seek justice at any price.
- The Blade of Kumori (premiered November 2004) - Kumori is a member of a group of assassins that descended from a lost samurai clan. All her life, she was trained to be the best of the best. However, she leads a sheltered life, unaware of the world beyond her targets and assignments. One day, she is assigned to kill an American science hero. But things don't go quite as planned.
- Infantry (premiered December 2004) - Infantry is a man on a mission - to destroy the evil network known as NEMESIS. But is he a hero for the people - or a pawn in a larger scheme?
