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SOVEREIGN,
a new graphic novel from Image Comics, is a lush, dark fantasy slated
for publication in December. Written by Chris Roberson (iZombie, Edison Rex) and drawn by Paul Maybury (AQUA LEUNG, Catalyst Comix), SOVEREIGN reveals an expansive world of clashing religions and philosophies, rich cultures, and untold horrors.
In
Khend, “Land of a Thousand Gods,” the old traditions of the Luminari,
who conduct the rites of the dead, burning the bodies to keep them from
being vessels for dark powers, are fading. Three Luminari journey to the
court of the Emperor to warn of the Convergence, an event that will
raise the dead, while power struggles within the court threaten the
empire.
Writer
Roberson has been a science fiction and fantasy author for many years,
but SOVEREIGN marks his first foray into epic fantasy, as he related in
an interview on the Image Comics website.
“I’d always wanted to do a big, sprawling ‘secondary world’ fantasy (as they’re called in the prose world),” Roberson told Multiversity Comics,
“and had wanted to do a story that was about different cultures in
collision, with their various philosophies and religions and outlooks.”
Artist Maybury’s drawing strategy reflected the themes of colliding cultures.
“Part
of what I like about fantasy as a genre is the idea of it coming from
within,” he said. “If I have to draw an elephant, I first want to draw
whatever default elephant is in my head. Then I’ll go look one up and
bring some of those details into the drawing. The same goes for people
and architecture. It keeps everything loose, and leaves the door halfway
open to follow history and culture just enough to give you an idea of
what to expect, but also allows me to pull from different cultures and
ideas that might not be historically or even geographically present.”
SOVEREIGN will be in comic book stores on December 3 and in bookstores on December 16. It is available for pre-order now.
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