“A smart, classic noir drenched in style and history." —James Tynion IV
PORTLAND, Ore. 2.18.2021 — Bestselling Infidel writer Pornsak Pichetshote will join fan favorite artist Alexandre Tefenkgi (Outpost Zero) for an all new miniseries in The Good Asian. This ten issue noir mystery will launch from Image Comics in May 2021.
Similar to the lauded series Infidel—which NPR named one of their “100 Favorite Horror Stories” and included in their Best Books of the Year list—this meticulously researched new series from Pichetshote and Tefenkgi explores race through a genre lens and is scheduled to hit shelves in time for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“The Good Asian isn’t just writing what I want to read—it’s writing what I want to exist: a story incorporating the Asian American history unacknowledged in textbooks to make a thriller that’s just as much about gangland murders, lust, and plot twists, as it is about immigration bans, police brutality, and Asian American identity,” said Pichetshote in an exclusive scoop on the announcement at Comic Book Resources.
The Good Asian introduces readers to main character Edison Hark—a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective—on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown. The Good Asian is Chinatown noir starring the generation of Americans to come of age under America’s first immigration ban—the Chinese Exclusion Act—as they’re besieged by rampant murders, abusive police, and a world that seemingly never changes.
Tefenkgi told CBR: "From Vietnamese descent, born in Africa and raised in France, I’ve always felt that I was somewhere in between different communities. One foot inside, the other outside, the narrative can easily become complex. That’s why this book has a special resonance to me.”
The Good Asian #1 Cover A by Dave Johnson (Diamond Code MAR210031) and The Good Asian #1 Cover B by Sana Takeda (Diamond Code MAR210032) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 5.
The Good Asian #1 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.
Early praise for The Good Asian:
“Both important and incredibly fun. Don’t miss it.” —Scott Snyder, Nocterra, Batman
“Absolutely the best kind of comics noir." —Kieron Gillen, The Wicked + The Divine, Die
"With snappy period dialogue and deftly engaging art, Pornsak And Alex have crafted a gripping and authentic crime story from an Asian-American POV. This is the book I've been waiting for." —Cliff Chiang, Paper Girls
"Edison Hark immediately joins the ranks of Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spade in a smart, classic noir drenched in style and history." —James Tynion IV, The Department Of Truth, Batman
“The best noir comic I've read in years. It's taut, evocative, and though it's set nearly 100 years ago, incredibly relevant.” —G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel
"Like any good noir, a sense of dread hangs off every page of The Good Asian, a brittle story that takes place during an unfamiliar time in our history that is tragically all too familiar now in our present." —Brian Azzarello, 100 Bullets, Moonshine
“Fantastic.” —Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth, Gideon Falls