Exquisite Corpses Lone Gunman #1 — Pornsak Pichetshote Turns the Spotlight on the Survivors
Two years after Laura won the game, the gold mask’s legacy won’t stay buried. Pornsak Pichetshote and Alberto Ponticelli bring the Lone Gunman side story, where survival comes with a haunting price.
If you followed the first Exquisite Corpses series, you know that winning isn’t really winning — it’s just a longer way to lose. This new limited series shifts the camera away from the main table and turns it on Laura, Xavi, and Jason. They tried to build a quiet life far from the 13 Families, using the winnings from that fateful tournament. But peace is fragile when the ghost of a golden mask won’t let you sleep.
Pornsak Pichetshote takes the helm here, bringing the same sharp, atmospheric dread that made Absolute Green Arrow such a standout read. He’s joined by Alberto Ponticelli, whose art on Unknown Soldier proves he can handle both visceral action and creeping psychological horror. The dynamic between the trio feels lived-in and exhausted; they’re not heroes, just people trying to outrun the fact that they survived when others didn’t.
What makes this debut so compelling is the emotional weight. It’s not about the game anymore; it’s about the aftermath. The art by Ponticelli, colored by Jordie Bellaire, has a texture that feels almost tactile — gritty, worn, and uneasy. You can feel the exhaustion in their posture and the paranoia in their eyes. This is the story of the people who stood in the shadows while the main event happened, and now the shadows are closing in.
If you loved the character-driven tension of Radiant Black, this has a similar pulse. Becca Carey’s work on that series set a high bar for modern thriller comics, and seeing her name attached here signals that we’re in for a ride that balances personal stakes with high-stakes danger. It’s a companion piece that feels essential rather than optional.
This is the one I’d hand you if you finished the first arc and immediately started looking for more. The Lone Gunman angle suggests a deeper lore dive, but the heart of it is Laura’s guilt. It’s a haunting, beautiful, and terrifying next step for the universe. Just so you know, these tend to move fast once the word gets out, so grab it before it vanishes from the rack.