This January Oni Press is giving hardcore lovers another chance to get their groove on with MIDNIGHT MOVER, a new trade paperback collecting 2003’s edgy miniseries by Gary Phillips, Jeremy Love, and Jeff Wasson. Featuring an eye-catching cover by Mike Huddleston, this digest-sized book follows escort bodyguard Danny Shaw on a descent into a pit of porn, lost dreams, and secrets held dear as he tries to climb his way out alive.
For Shaw, a Gulf War vet with a buried past, smoking blunts dulls the ache of unrealized wants while chaperonin’ washed-up porn stars turned call girls keeps the rent paid. But when his girl Ginger gets knifed on his watch, Danny kisses all that goodbye and goes on the lam — a midnight mover one step ahead of the law and the lawless.
“Gary Phillips types with his fists,” said Oni Press editor in chief Jamie S. Rich. “You can see the emotion and adrenaline drip off his knuckles like blood dripping from the taped-up hands of a contender. His stories bob and weave exactly when they should, and his characters pack a vicious punch that could drop a big man like Gary himself.”
“Sometimes pairing a writer and an artist is just too easy,” explained editor James Lucas Jones. “I knew the Love Brothers, founders of Gettosake Productions, were not just talented artists, but fans of Gary’s previous comic SHOT CALLERZ as well. Approaching Jeremy to draw MIDNIGHT MOVER was just a no-brainer. And Jeff Wasson’s clean, clear ink style had already caught my eye on THE COPYBOOK TALES. It all just fell into place.”
“Yeah, Danny’s not an immediately likable cat,” Phillips commented. “But he’s not really a bad guy either. He’s just adrift, he’s a man who’s made a lot of mistakes, and is trying to find his way back. MIDNIGHT MOVER forces Danny to wake up to the life he’s been sleepwalking through. Getting perspective on where he’s been and where he’s going is just as important for Danny as a character as solving the murder and clearing his name.”
Standing in Shaw’s way are an unknown killer and detectives Frank Padilla and Cynthia Oh. He’s a devoted family man, and she’s deep into the S&M scene. They make for unusual partners to be sure. But despite their differences, both cops are determined to find out who’s responsible for Ginger’s slaying and Danny is a critical piece to that puzzle – a puzzle that when assembled, reveals a larger agenda than just a killing.
“The reader’s in the same spot Danny is,” added Love. “They have to follow the clues along with him and discover the true motive for the murder. Solving a mystery is one thing, making all the pieces fit when you’re strapped into a speeding rollercoaster is another matter entirely. Gary isn’t afraid to turn things upside-down or whoosh everyone through a couple loop-de-loops. You never know where he’s going to go next or how it’s going to affect Danny and his quest.”
“Gary and Jeremy are both rising stars in the comic scene,” Jones concluded. “Both men have stepped up, and MIDNIGHT MOVER is an exciting chance to see them go a few rounds with no rules and no referee-it’ll knock you out.”
MIDNIGHT MOVER trade paperback retails for $11.95 and contains 120 black-and-white pages. Presented in Oni’s popular digest format, the volume measures 5.5″ wide and 8″ tall. It goes on sale January 21st, 2004.
And as a special Bonus: Go and check out this month’s collection of free online comics by Oni Press!
