The Patron

All the great artists have one thing in common...they’re dead.

Eisner Award winners Christian Ward and John J. Pearson deliver a bloody masterpiece in this fine art thriller!

Exit Through The Gift Shop meets How To Make A Killing in a story about art and commerce that is destined to be a bloody masterpiece.

A true patron of the fine arts, Mr. Cherish has dedicated his life to scouting and supporting emerging artists, launching countless unknowns from obscurity into industry superstardom.

Unfortunately for these young artists, the secret to Cherish’s success is their untimely demise. Nothing makes a work of art more desirable and valuable to collectors than the passing of its creator, and Cherish has refined his ability to orchestrate spectacular tragedies without leaving a trace…before selling his dead protégés’ oeuvres for massive profits.

Painter Matty Barnes is primed to become Cherish’s next ‘hit,’ but when the script is flipped on this latest murder, a shocking twist puts his empire in the crosshairs.

Writer Christian Ward (Batman: City of Madness, Event Horizon) and artist John J. Pearson (The Department of Truth, The Infernals) put their own life’s work on the page in a highbrow thriller at the bloody intersection of art and commerce!

Collects issues #1-5 of The Patron and The Cold Open, a zero issue available in the stores for the first time!