Afterlift

by Chip Zdarsky, Jason Loo (Illustrator), Paris Alleyne (Illustrator), Aditya Bidikar (Contribution by)

Overview

2020 EISNER AWARD WINNER FOR BEST DIGITAL SERIES!

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. This Eisner Award-winning series from Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals, Daredevil) and Jason Loo (The Pitiful Human-Lizard) features car chases, demon bounty hunters, and figuring out your place in this world and the next.

Collects Afterlift #1-#5 along with all covers and a sketchbook section.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506724409
Publisher:	Dark Horse Comics
Publication date:	02/02/2021
Pages:	136
Sales rank:	1,077,026
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Chip Zdarsky is the award-winning illustrator and co-creator of SEX CRIMINALS for Image Comics, and has written SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY, DAREDEVIL and HOWARD THE DUCK for Marvel Comics, and JUGHEAD for Archie Comics. He loves long walks in the park while listing his projects.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/18/2021

Dante’s Inferno meets Uber in this intoxicatingly ingenious Eisner Award winner for Best Digital Comic, collected here in a trade volume. Demon Dumu has been sent to escort Suzanna, dead of an overdose, to his master Lucifer down below, and tricks rideshare driver Janice Chen into becoming their Charon across the River Styx. Hot on their trail are demons Pythazus, Zeniakra, and Gornaux, and Janice’s only ally may be the fallen angel Twyzel of purgatory. Zdarsky (the Sex Criminals series) infuses his plot with clever moments (the clock on Janice’s phone suddenly ticks to 666) and touching scenes where Janice must confront shame from her past and her own crisis of faith following a family tragedy. Artist Loo (The Pitiful Human-Lizard series) efficiently blends the mundane with the fantastic in character designs and adds dynamism to the many car chases. Going deeper than a simple good vs. evil narrative, the tale begs questions about organized religion and faith, and lands a tricky finish with emotional fidelity. The broader themes will appeal beyond just fans of the chase adventure genre—though they’ll find plenty to cheer on here, too. It’s a weird, wild ride well worth taking. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

12/01/2020

Late one night, ride-share driver Janice Chen picks up a charming fare who quickly reveals himself to be a charismatic demon named Dumu. After transforming Janice into a ghostlike entity, Dumu explains that she'll be restored only if she agrees to help him deliver the soul of a recently deceased woman named Suzanna to Hell. Janice initially agrees to Dumu's terms, but after realizing that she and Suzanna are both haunted by regret over past tragedies, the two women set out on a desperate race across the afterlife, in search of salvation. With a demonic horde in hot pursuit, they take refuge with Twyzel, an exiled angel with a sorrowful backstory of his own. A series of vicious battles and narrow escapes ensues before our protagonists find themselves standing at the gates of heaven, where they discover that vanquishing their pursuers isn't nearly as difficult as forgiving themselves. VERDICT Zdarsky (Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky. Vol. 4) delivers a richly imagined, action-packed story, in which artists Loo (Pitiful Human Lizard: Far From Legendary) and Alleyne deliver with vigorous flair. This collection included the entire five-issue series, originally published online and the winner of an Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2020.

Library Journal