Kickstarting Comics: Monty Nero’s ‘Death Sentence’ All Completed With Latest Volume, ‘Liberty’

by Richard Bruton

Up on Kickstarter – Death Sentence: Liberty brings Monty Nero’s three-volume Death Sentence series to a conclusion with this third volume.

Death Sentence Book 3: Liberty – Art by Ben Oliver

Death Sentence, the series all about a sexually transmitted disease that gives you weird powers and six months to live, is written by Monty Nero and features art through the three volumes by Mike Dowling (on Book 1), Martin Simmonds (Book 2 and half of Book 3: Liberty) and then Nero completing Book 3: Liberty with his own artwork.

Each volume of the Death Sentence saga is a self-contained tale, featuring bisexual artist Verity, musician Weasel, and Monty, a crazed comedian in the six months they have to live after contracting the fatal virus that’s killing them but that’s also given them strange powers.

Here’s some PR from the Kickstarter for the collected Book 3: Liberty…

“People across North America and Europe are contracting the deadly G+ Virus, an STD that gives them weird abilities and six months to live. What do they do with the time they’ve got left? That’s the dilemma facing Verity, a frustrated bisexual artist, Weasel, a burned-out rock star, and Monty, an insane comedian. The more creative and original they are the more powerful they become, because G+ is a virus that turns artists into gods.

As the tension escalates we also meet Roots, a drug-dealing baddass, and Jeb, an FBI agent on a terrifying undercover mission – as governments struggle to contain the pandemic.”

As Monty says:

“It’s a sexy, dark, blackly funny tale about the power of creativity to give our lives meaning in a broken world. G-plus is a virus that can turn artists into gods, with all the temptation and opportunity that implies.”

In Death Sentence, Nero wants us to imagine what we’d do in their places – can they fulfil their dreams and make sense of their lives in the short time they have left?

Be warned though, as Monty himself warns:

“It’s big, it’s dark, it’s a wild ride, and still manages to be full of black humour. And obviously, if you hadn’t worked it out already, it’s not all-ages, not a bit of it – so don’t go pledging if grown-up things including swears, sex, violence, and drug-taking get you all upset.”

Death Sentence Book 3: Liberty comes together here for the first time in collection, with new captions and dialogue tweeks that act in ‘fleshing out the world and adding greater depth to the reading experience,’ similarly there’s improved artwork on a few pages here. Additionally, there’s a new foreword and a covers gallery.

And on the front of the book, there’s the choice of two different covers, the regular Ben Oliver edition shown above and the Monty Nero ‘Fuck You’ signed edition, which will look a little like this… sans censoring (the censoring was on KS, not me, I don’t think you’re going to be that offended by the odd swear… and if you are, well just turn on the news to re-evaluate your priorities.)

The campaign’s already nicely funded, but that shouldn’t put you off grabbing the complete Death Sentence now, should it? Oh no, not one bit, go grab yourself some fab comics.

Obviously, there’s plenty of extras, stretch goals, and tiers, complete with the option to grab all three of the excellent Death Sentence books… but there’s also campaign-only art prints, Death Sentence merch, and Monty Nero’s The Little Deaths Artbook.

Lots and lots to be looking at, go and see for yourself here at the Death Sentence Kickstarter.

The collected Death Sentence contains three matching graphic novels – over 480 pages of story, with covers by Nero, Mike Dowling, Martin Simmonds, Ben Oliver, Ben Willsher, and Luke Ross.

The three books on offer in the Kickstarter are…

Death Sentence: Book one, 168 pages by Monty Nero and co-creator Mike Dowling.

Death Sentence: London, 156 pages by Monty Nero and Martin Simmonds.

Death Sentence: Liberty, 156 pages by Monty Nero and Martin Simmonds.

The Death Sentence Kickstarter campaign began on 14 March and runs until 31 March 2023 – go support it here.

Now, a few preview pages from each book, starting with the most recent, Death Sentence: Liberty… first with some Martin Simmonds artwork…