PICK-UP / Written and Created by MICHAEL COAST / Art by FELIPE CUNHA / Colors by SABINE RICH / Letters by SAL CIPRIANO / Covers by ACO & ALISON SAMPSON / Published by AWA STUDIOS

Nick Nolan is not your average influencer. True, he makes bank on books and videos claiming to teach men how to pick-up women. However, unlike most of the self-proclaimed, selfie-snapping Alphas, he encourages men to use active listening and take the time to get to know a lady before sealing the deal.

When one of Nick’s neighbors is found doing his best Joe Gillis impression in his own pool, Nick recalls seeing a strange woman earlier in the day. To his surprise, he actually caught her on camera while recording his latest stream. This leads to a bit of sleuthing, as Nick tries to find the woman and prove her connection to his neighbor’s death. Will Nick win this dangerous game? Or is the player about to get played?

Pick-Up is indicative of the sort of one-shot stories I’ve come to enjoy from AWA Studios. Michael Coast does a fantastic job of setting up Nick as a conflicted anti-hero. He also introduces enough twists to make Pick Up seem like the sort of story Alfred Hitchcock would be telling today if he were alive. I can not and will not go into too much detail on this point, but suffice it to say my inner detective fiction fan was pleased by this comic.

The artwork is equally amazing. Felipe Cunha keeps the action flowing smoothly, bringing life into even the most static scenes of Nick talking to his cameras. It is the colors of Sabine Rich, however, that make the artwork sing. From the clubs to the crime scenes, the lighting effects in Pick Up are some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Pick Up is a hard comic to quantify, yet remarkably easy to enjoy. Fans of modern thrillers and detective fiction would do well to check it out. However, I would suggest it to anyone who is looking for something unique among the usual science-fiction and superheroes that dominate American comics.

Pick-Up arrives in comic shops on March 18, 2026.