The Shepherd, Vol. 4: The Tether is a romantic horror story in the classic gothic mode. Like Vol. 3: The Valentine, The Tether is also drawn by Jaime Rodríguez Martínez. From our perspective, The Tether is critical to the "Shepherdverse" in two ways: 1) it focuses on Val Miller and his alter-ego Legio, rounding out his character, history, and motivations; and 2) it provides a window into how "the Seam," that middle-place of the afterlife, works.

For two years, the deceased Val Miller has been rescuing troubled souls in the afterlife. Fighting alongside his father The Shepherd, Val has seen the horrifying, strange, and even beautiful parts of the hereafter.

Now, deep regrets have set in. Mourning the life he can never have, Val’s spirit wanders restlessly. Then he stumbles upon Maria, a young woman hunted by monstrous entities.

But who is Maria? Why is she in the afterlife in the first place? And what nightmares lurk in the shadows around them?