''Near Death'' is an ongoing comic book series created by

Jay Faerber Jay Faerber (born 1972) is an American comic book and television writer. Faerber is known for his work on ''Generation X'' and ''New Warriors'' for Marvel Comics, and '' The Titans'' and '' Connor: Spotlight'' for DC Comics. He later wrote his ow ...

with artist Simone Guglielmini.

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

began publishing it in September

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

. The series went on hiatus following the eleventh issue in September 2012. An original

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

is scheduled for release in early 2019. The story follows a former

hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...

who attempts to atone for his misdeeds after a

near death experience A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death which researchers claim share similar characteristics. When positive, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations including detac ...

shows him a vision of

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

Publication history

Faerber credits the work of Stephen J. Cannell as his inspiration for the series, along with a personal attraction to redemption stories. After creating the plot himself, Faerber recruited Italian artist Guglielmini by email. During publication, the two never met in person or spoke on the phone.Bradley, Drew,
Artist August: Simone Guglielmini interview
, www.multiversitycomics.com, 9 August 2012 Guglielmini drew inspiration from ''

Criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

'' and ''

Gotham Central ''Gotham Central'' is a police procedural comic-book series that was published by DC Comics. It was written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with pencils initially by Michael Lark. The story focused on the Gotham City Police Department and the diff ...

''. The series was published monthly beginning in 2011. Most issues were self-contained instead of multi-part stories because Faerber wanted a creative challenge.Bradley, Drew,
Jay Faerber talks Near Death hiatus
, www.multiversitycomics.com, 25 September 2012, retrieved 8 November 2012 Each issue contains some form of bonus material, such as an article on crime fiction or a second, shorter comic. The series has been collected into two square-bound volumes. The first, released February 2012, reprints the first five issues and includes a script for the first issue. Volume two, released in October 2012, reprints #6–11 and is 136 pages. The series was put on hiatus following its eleventh issue in 2012. At the time, Faerber expressed an interest in continuing the story as a series of

one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'' (2 ...

s. An original graphic novel, ''Over My Dead Body'', was released in 2020. There has been an effort to adapt the comic to television.

Plot

Markham, a hitman, is shot during an attempted murder and briefly dies on the operating table. He has a vision of

where he is haunted by the ghosts of people he has killed. One tells Markham there is still time to make up for his actions. When he recovers, Markham begins to protect people who are in danger. He confesses that he is doing this selfishly, and does not care about the people he saves. After his former coworkers learn of his new direction, they try to kill Markham and his girlfriend. To avoid more confrontations, Markham moves to Los Angeles. He eventually turns himself into the police and is sent to jail.

Critical reception

''Near Death'' was featured in an article in ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' and reviews of the first issue were mostly positive. In a March 2012 interview, Image publisher Eric Stephenson expressed frustration the book was not selling better. The series continued to receive positive reviews through its final issue.Advance Review: Near Death volume 2
www.geeksunleased.me, 23 September 2012 Faerber said the most common complaint he received about the series was the stories feeling "too short."

References

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