The Guardians of Pain

eJUNKY

A Sci-Fi Noir Graphic Novel

In the year 2055, technology has transformed the human experience. Through Nerve Reading Devices (N.R.D.s) and Emotional Regulation technology (EMO-REGs), pain and suffering have been rendered virtually illegal and are controlled commodities. The only way to feel real emotion is through TORCH, an illegal memory drug containing the buried experiences of others.

When Hector Holmes, a disgraced investigator and TORCH addict (eJUNKY), nearly overdoses, his former partner pulls him into a desperate mission: stop The Guardians of Pain, a cult distributing painful, black-market memories to incite a revolution.

The pursuit ends with Hector making a desperate choice, leaving him broken and held captive by the World Corporation Organization (W.C.O.), while Astra is left utterly changed by the world she has seen.

COLLECTOR'S EDITION FEATURES

This First Hardcover Collector's Edition features never-before-released original cover art by Kyle Faehnrich, a gallery of all alternative cover designs (with respective artist biographies previously published by Scout Comics), and the complete seven-issue series.

THE GUARDIANS OF PAIN: The Series

A Sci-Fi Noir Saga of Memory, Revolution, and Dystopian Control

Welcome to a future where the global corporate machine, the W.C.O., mandates EMO-REGs to keep humanity numb and compliant. True emotion is a controlled, black-market commodity, and painful memories are the only truth left. This series follows the explosive revolution started by those who dare to awaken humanity to the truth of its exploitation. It is a world where memory is the ultimate weapon, and the line between detective and dissident is razor-thin.

Book 1: eJUNKY Hector Holmes is a disgraced investigator addicted to the black-market memory drug TORCH. He is pulled into the conspiracy surrounding the cult leader, X, who promises users the ability to relive centuries of history. Hector teams up with Astra, a celebrity protected by EMO-REGs since birth. Working with Hector to hunt the cult, Astra discovers the addictive power of unrestricted emotion, while Hector discovers that the true cost of memory is far greater than he ever imagined.

Book 2: A Dream Celebrity's Revolt The dust settles on the cult's collapse, leaving a vacuum of power. Astra, no longer innocent, uses her celebrity status to seize control of The Guardians of Pain. She embraces TORCH and vows to tear down the W.C.O., steering the Guardians in a Machiavellian but pure direction that the madman X only dreamed of. Her first mission: breaking Hector out of prison to help incite the true revolution by leaking genuine, painful memories of exploitation from the lawless Restricted Zones.

THE GUARDIANS OF PAIN is a genre-busting saga where the fight for a better future begins with a painful truth.