As part of its new line of original comics, in September IDW will launch a five-part limited series, Crashing, written by Matthew Klein and illustrated by Morgan Beem, with colors by Triona Farrell and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Crashing follows recovering addict Dr. Rose Osler, one of only a handful of United States physicians who specialize in training "Powered individuals," aka humans who demonstrate some kind of superpower. After a wave of violence allegedly attributed to these Powered individuals, Rose has to maintain an air of professionalism and resist the urge to relapse, while also struggling to reconcile her past and keep her marriage together.
"Crashing is a story about sacrifice, heroism, and self-care," says Klein. "Over the pandemic, we saw such an increase in people needing help, falling into self-destructive behaviors, addiction, or alcoholism, it felt like there needed to be a story about a first responder who needs help but doesn't know how to ask for it.
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"Heroes need help, too. Whether they wear capes or stethoscopes, the responsibility of saving someone's life can be overwhelming. We've all seen an extraordinary number of heroes step up on the frontlines of the pandemic. I wanted to explore a story about an everyday hero who wants to save everybody at the expense of herself and how dangerous that kind of self-neglect can be."
For artist Beem, Rose encapsulates important aspects of humanity. "One of the things that really excites me about this project is that all our characters—and especially Rose, our main character—are flawed," she says. "They all have a lot of strength but also a lot of genuine weaknesses. They make mistakes, sometimes huge ones, but they keep going. They learn to forgive others, and especially themselves. I love that because it's something that I feel all of us can relate to."
Check out a new preview of Crashing #1 below.
Editor Heather Antos says there's no better time for a story like Crashing. She notes that the creative team has put together "an extraordinary display of humanity that will help a lot of people hopefully connect, grow, and heal."
"One of the greatest powers we all possess is the ability to reach out and connect with one another, but sometimes finding the strength to do so gets lost along the way," she says. "Joining Rose on her journey of self-growth while caught between powers quite beyond her has been a joy."
Crashing #1 will be available with three variant covers by Beem, Jorge Corona, and Liana Kangas. The issue hits shelves September 21.
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