Hawaiian Dick creator B. Clay Moore is returning to crime comics, teaming with artist Mack Chater (Briggs Land, Sword Daughter) on Last Flight out of Wichita. The series is published by DSTLRY, with the publisher promising an epic neo-noir story with high stakes, bad decisions, and brutal consequences for fans of crime fiction like Fargo, True Detective, and No Country for Old Men. DSTLRY will publish the 48-page Last Flight out of Wichita #1 in its signature perfect-bound Prestige format in February, with pre-orders available until January 13th. Here’s the series synopsis for Last Flight Out of Wichita, provided by the publisher:
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“Capturing the post-war erosion of the American Dream in 1977, Last Flight out of Wichita follows two Vietnam veterans struggling to make ends meet in the Midwest. A desperate gamble plunges the duo into the chaotic underworld of Kansas City’s organized crime, pitting them against mob bosses and violent double-crosses as the pair unintentionally wanders into the crosshairs of the historical Purple Capsule Gang and other factions vying for supremacy. The ensuing mayhem offers a new benchmark in taut, adrenaline-ramping crime comics choreographed with expert precision.”
DSTLRY Calls Last Flight out of Wichita an Epic Crime Series
“Last Flight out of Wichita examines the different ways people try to reach for an American Dream that isn’t available to them through conventional methods,” Moore explains in a statement. “The series takes place in 1977, at the tail end of a recession and the main protagonists—Vietnam veterans—have already had their lives forever altered by systems beyond their control. In desperation, they decide to step outside of the conventional system and take matters into their own hands, only to realize that there are always other, more powerful people also existing beyond the system’s control. And when those people are crossed, there’s nowhere to turn for help.”
“Noir has such a gorgeous visual language, mostly codified throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s beginning with folks like Fritz Lang and continuing with designers like Saul Bass,” Chater adds. “The 70s dragged the genre out of the shadows, showing every scar. This is a lavishly decadent, gritty descent into bullets, drugs, and sleepless nights.”
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Last Flight out of Wichita is DSTLRY’s First Cime Series
Since the publisher’s founding in 2023, DTLRY has launched 11 series, with more on the way. Those series have spanned genres including horror, sci-fi, and western. Last Flight out of Wichita is DSTLRY’s first foray into the crime genre.
“Hawaiian Dick stands as one of my favorite comics. That singular series ushered in the 21st century’s love affair with crime comics unafraid to break convention, while remaining grounded in vice and escalating bad decisions,” says DSTLRY co-founder/CCO Chip Mosher. “With Last Flight Out of Wichita, Moore is back at the top of his game, with Chater delivering the visual punch. After reading the first issue, I had no regrets on boarding this plane.”
DSTLRY co-founder and CEO David Steinberger adds, “Nobody weaves the genre around unforgettable places and characters quite like Clay, and Mack’s pages are like walking into the sun-drenched ’70s. We’re beyond proud for this to be DSTLRY’s first crime series.”
