The Horizon Experiment: Finders/Keepers #1 Preview

 

 

Earlier this month, I reviewed The Manchurian #1, the first entry in The Horizon Experiment series from Image Comics. Here's the info on another entry in this new sereis of one-shots!

CELEBRATED CREATOR VITA AYALA JOINS FORCES WITH RISING STAR ARTIST SKYLAR PATRIDGE FOR ORIGINAL ACTION-ADVENTURE COMIC THE HORIZON EXPERIMENT: FINDERS//KEEPERS

Hitting shelves this January, Ayala and Patridge’s The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers one-shot is a thrilling “reverse Indiana Jones” story that brings new energy and perspective to the action-adventure genre.

 

Powerhouse comic book writer Vita Ayala (New Mutants, Static: Season One) is partnering up  with on-the-verge star artist Skylar Patridge (Absolute Power: Ground Zero, Supergirl) for The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers, a brand-new action-adventure comic that twists the genre in a way that’s never been done before. Fans of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and Tomb Raider will enjoy this thrilling, fresh take that re-envisions this style of storytelling with new energy and perspective. Hitting shelves in January 2025, this marks the final installment in The Horizon Experiment series of one-shots.  The Horizon Experiment centers on original protagonists from marginalized backgrounds set in a popular genre or inspired by a famous pop culture character, with each unique comic putting a diverse spin on a fan-favorite story. The initiative is led by Eisner and Harvey Award-winning creator Pornsak Pichetshote (The Good Asian, Infidel) and award-winning editor Will Dennis (SOMNA: A Bedtime Story, Gideon Falls). The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers is a reverse Indiana Jones story that follows Puerto Rican archeology grad student Ines Guarua, who plans to steal an important cultural artifact from a famous museum in order to bring it back home to where it belongs, in the heart of the rainforest. If she fails, then a curse may bring about the destruction of Puerto Rico. This leads Guarua on a quest to smuggle other artifacts from museums and institutions to return them to their native cultures. Finders//Keepers flips the script on traditional action-adventure tales in a fun and exciting way, opening up a new path for protagonist Guarua for potential future stories. “I’ve always loved action-adventure stories, but the archetypal protagonist and most of the traditional setups weren’t really ever going to work for people like me,” said Ayala. “Working on The Horizon Experiment, I knew I found a way to open that world up to anyone who wanted a shot of being the hero! What a thrill to get to be on such an amazing team, on one of the most fun projects of my career!" “Out of all the projects announced as part of The Horizon Experiment, Finders//Keepers has generated the most anticipation, and I'm not surprised,” said Pichetshote. “Nothing has made me want to come back to comics editing more than the prospect of working with Vita Ayala, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped they'd be interested in joining in. Skylar Patridge is a superstar that still manages to grow in exciting directions with every new high-profile project, so I knew their working together was going to be special. They delivered and then some." “Finders//Keepers is a dream project—narratively, artistically, and thematically—and The Horizon Experiment has provided a much-needed stage to tell stories like this,” said Patridge. “It’s rare that a project aligns so perfectly, and working with Vita, Pornsak, and Will to build and shape this world has been both gratifying and deeply inspiring. Add to that the incredible work of colorist Jason Wordie and letterer and designer Becca Carey, and it truly feels like hitting the creative lottery.” Like the other titles in The Horizon Experiment, this one-shot serves as the equivalent of a pilot for a creator-owned series, with the potential of continuing should there be demand for more. Along with a cover featuring art by Patridge, the issue will feature variant covers by Eisner Award-winning artist Tula Lotay (SOMNA: A Bedtime Story, Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder), part of a series of connecting variant covers across all five Horizon Experiment one-shots.  The Horizon Experiment series kicked off on September 25 with The Manchurian, written by Pichetshote and illustrated by superstar artists Terry and Rachel Dodson (Adventureman, Harley Quinn), featuring a Chinese super spy inspired by James Bond. Other upcoming issues include the Muslim exorcism horror The Sacred Damned (by Sabir Pirzada and Michael Walsh), East African werewolf horror Moon Dogs (by Tananarive Due and Kelsey Ramsey), and “Evil Dead for blerds” horror-comedy Motherf*ckin’ Monsters (by J. Holtham and Michael Lee Harris). The five issues will be released on a monthly basis. The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 15: Cover A by Patridge Cover B by Tula Lotay (connecting) Cover C by Tula Lotay (1:25 foil incentive, connecting) Cover D (blank sketch) The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. Pichetshote will be discussing The Horizon Experiment on the "Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground" panel at New York Comic Con this Sunday, October 20, from 11:00 a.m–12:00 p.m. EST in Room 406.2. Pichetshote will also be at booth I32 during the event.

ABOUT VITA AYALA Vita Ayala is a queer Afro-Puerto Rican writer out of New York City and one of the most in-demand writers in comics. An author of comic books and prose, they have worked on some of the most iconic franchises currently published, ranging from the X-Men to Wonder Woman to James Bond to Batman to Static Shock to Star Wars. The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers marks their long-awaited return to original, creator-owned work.

ABOUT SKYLAR PATRIDGE Freelance comic artist, illustrator, designer, and occasional writer, Skylar Patridge is a fan-favorite artist. Her work has become hotly in demand by every major comics publisher, whether it be working on original material such as Relics of Youth and Resonant, both for Vault Comics or drawing some of the most beloved characters in pop culture, including Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

ABOUT JASON WORDIE Colorist Jason Wordie is credited on hundreds of comics in a career that’s spanned over a decade working with such respected young celebrated artists as Wes Craig and Geoff Shaw or on such beloved properties as Planet of the Apes or Harley Quinn.

 Now, let's take a look inside Finders Keepers #1!

 

 

I've always appreciated Vita Ayala's love of mythology. I'm impressed by how Ayala combines that with a focus on the importance of history, culture, tradition, and archeology in Finders/Keepers #1. The dynamic art and vibrant coloring are also captivating! Best wishes for success to the creators and everyone at The Horizon Experiment on Finders/Keepers #1!

 

Thanks to Image Comics for sharing this preview with us, and have a great New York Comic-Con!

To check out the first entry in this series, see my review of The Manchurian #1.

 

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States, and is the #2 graphic novel publisher in America. It is the publisher of such award winning titles as, Spawn, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Saga, Monstress, Deadly Class, Chew, The Old Guard, I Kill Giants, Criminal, The Department of Truth, W0rldtr33, Geiger, Descender, Gideon Falls, It’s Lonely At The Centre of The Earth, Do A Power Bomb, and more. The company currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit: www.imagecomics.com.