The Patron #1

All great artists have one thing in common – they're dead. The true patron of the fine arts, Mr. Cherish, devotes his life to nurturing emerging talent and catapults unknowns into the spotlight. His dark secret: the greatest driver of the market value of their works is their premature death – and Cherish has perfected the art of staging spectacular accidents without leaving a trace, then selling the works of his deceased protégés for enormous profits.

Painter Matty Barnes is set to be Cherish's next "hit" – but when the script flips, a posthumous surprise turns the artist's fate and legacy upside down. Suddenly the patron's empire is caught between law enforcement and a ruthless third connoisseur.

A sophisticated thriller at the bloody intersection of art and commerce by writer Christian Ward (Batman: City of Madness, Event Horizon) and artist John J. Pearson (The Department of Truth, The Infernals). Both create a complete set of variant covers; plus a special incentive cover for #1 by Anand RK (Eisner Award winner; Deicidium, The Beauty).