HOWL #1 / Story by ALISA KWITNEY/ Art by MAURICET / Letters by ROB STEEN / Published by AHOY COMICS

Greenwich Village. August 1957. It is a time and place for poets, artists, musicians and creators. It is where many young people come to find themselves or, in the case of some young women, find themselves a husband.

Such is the conundrum before Ziva Rodblatt, who shacks up with sci-fi writer Bert Jeckley shortly after moving to the village. Ziva longs to write her own stories, but fears the best she can hope for is being Bert’s muse and rewriting the work of other men in her editor’s job. However, unbeknownst to them all, an alien menace threatens the Earth, and seeks to consume those creative souls who might stop them…

Howl #1 is an excellent opening chapter in a smart, subversive story. Alisa Kwitney examines a side of American history that the mainstream is reluctant to acknowledge; that the 1950s were more than rock and roll and poodle skirts. The artwork of artist Mauricet perfectly captures the aesthetic of the time, while hinting at the horror from beyond in the shadows. Thematically, this marriage of Atomic Age sci-fi and the beatnik movement makes perfect sense and sets the stage for a promising epic.

Howl #1 arrives in comic shops on January 15, 2025.