Ariela Kristantina

Insexts, the AfterShock comic by Marguerite Bennett and Ariela Kristantina, mixes gothic and body horror to tell a feminist story about women monsters in love. Lady Lalita Bertram (she just goes by Lady) is a rich widow, and Mariah is her maid. Except that they're actually lovers and devoted partners, and even have a child together. They're also insectoid monsters, especially Lady, who has a tendency to sprout deadly bug-parts when she's stressed out. And thanks to the expectations Victorian society places on women, she gets stressed out a lot. And yes, some men die along the way. These songs were chosen because they reflect some combination of the monstrous feminine, the gothic violence, and the unapologetically queer themes of the comic.

Check out the best romance and erotica comics in 2016, including our critics' picks and the comics you voted the runner up and winner in this category!

Check out the best horror comics in 2016, including our critics' picks, and the comics you voted the runner up and winner in this category!

The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!

Insexts is a comic book about monsters. Written by Marguerite Bennett and drawn by Ariela Kristantina, with colors by Bryan Valenza and Jessica Kaoline, it’s a Victorian horror tale with all the classic trappings, but it also incorporates a massive, writhing dose of body horror. It’s also queer and profoundly feminist. In short, Insexts is doing things with horror the likes of which have never been seen in comics, or perhaps any other medium.

Written by Marguerite Bennett, with art by Ariela Kristantina and colors by Bryan Valenza, Insexts is a horror series that debuted as part of creator-owned publisher Aftershock Comics' launch line-up in December 2015. The series follows two women who love each other in a world that is hostile to their love and their gender. Oh, and both have insect powers.

Ever since it was first announced last April as the brainchild of Mike Marts and Joe Pruett, AfterShock Comics has been talking a pretty big game. They've signed an impressive roster of talent, but there hasn't been much news about the actual projects --- until today, when AfterShock announced the titles, teams, and release dates for its first four titles. All four are set to hit shelves in December, with new titles from Paul Jenkins and Andy Clarke, and Marguerite Bennett and Ariela Kristantina, leading the way.