Luana Vecchio is to revisit the world of the Lovesick Club with Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale – a new prequel series telling the origins of Domino, the dark web’s most infamous dominatrix. Published by Image Comicsthe four-part miniseries will hit comic shops December 11, retailing for $3.99.
The synopsis:
“Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale follows a twelve-year-old girl called Madeleine who dreads the idea of growing up. She fears becoming like the cruel older girls or facing the contempt of her devoutly religious mother. But most of all, she doesn’t want to become a target for the monsters that are out there, hiding in plain sight. However, a stomach-churning discovery forces Madeleine to confront the harsh reality that growing up isn’t a choice—it’s survival. As she is thrust into a world of perverted killers and unsavory websites, she has to come to terms with her own dark obsessions, leading her down the shadowy road to become the infamous Mother Demon: Domino.
The book will feature five variant covers by Vecchio (including connecting one) plus an additional variant by Jessica Cioffi (aka LOPUTYN) .
In the Image Comics press release, Vecchio spoke about the upcoming book – suggesting this could be an interlude before a Lovesick continuation:
“After finishing Lovesick, I knew I couldn’t stay away from Domino for long but before going back to the Lovesick Club, I knew I had to take a step back and explore Domino’s heart, dive into those sad eyes and return to her origins, back to Madeleine. ”
While the main Lovesick series had deliberately gone for a more mature combination of horror-erotica, Vecchio implies a more accessible tonal shift for Doll Parts:
“I’ve always dreamed of writing a coming-of-age thriller-horror set in the 2000s, the very years I was a teenager myself. Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale explores what it means to be a young girl in a world where youth is a double-edged sword, both a strength and a vulnerability. “I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve created and the themes I’ve tackled, I believe the comic world needs a character like Madeleine.”
Adding:
“I wanted to create a miniseries that everyone could enjoy, even those new to the world of Lovesick. There won’t be any latex-clad dominatrixes or elegant cannibals here; the horror unfolds within the walls of home, in the online world, and through the journey of adolescence. It won’t be an easy journey, but it’s a necessary one. Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale is a celebration of the comic medium and how it should remain free to tell even the most uncomfortable stories.”
Luana Vecchio is an Italian artist who emerged on the scene via a short in Millarworld Annual 2017. The horror erotica series Lovesick debuted as a self-published three-part online comic on Comixology Submit in 2020. In 2022 Vecchio would revisit his creation and expand it to seven issues at Image Comics. That same year, Vecchio would also see publication of creator owned series Bolero and the IMAGE! 30th Anthology three-part short Gospel for a New Centuryboth alongside writer Wyatt Kennedy – plus receive the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. She has had interiors and cover work published by DC, Archie Comics, Scout, Oni, Vault, Skybound, and others.
