San Diego Comic-Con 2024 is just days away, which means the dam of comic book announcements is about to burst. Ahead of the show's start, IGN can exclusively reveal the next two star-studded series joining the Comixology Originals library, The Girl Who Draws on Whales and Groupies.
Read on to see preview art and full details for both titles.
The Girl Who Draws on Whales
This new YA graphic novel comes from writer/artist Ariela Kristantina, who previously illustrated Adora and the Distance. The creative team also includes colorist Sarah Stern, letterer Bernardo Brice, and editor Will Dennis.
The Girl Who Draws on Whales is set centuries after a great flood has devastated the world. Siblings Wangi and Banyu live in a seaside village, where Wangi has developed a unique rapport with local whales. But when she discovers that she isn't the only one drawing on the backs of whales and sending messages across the ocean, Wangi defies her village elders and embarks on a quest to find the source of these mysterious drawings.
"Creating The Girl Who Draws on Whales has been a deeply personal and exhilarating experience," Kristantina said in a statement. "Living in the island nation of Indonesia, surrounded by the beauty and mystery of the sea, I drew inspiration from the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of our islands. Through Wangi and Banyu's story, I wanted to capture the bravery it takes to defy expectations and the strength found in siblinghood. This journey of art, courage, and discovery reflects the resilience of our spirit and the magic that storytelling brings to life. I hope readers feel the same sense of wonder and connection that I felt while crafting this tale."
The Girl Who Draws on Whales will be released digitally on October 8, 2024, with Dark Horse Books releasing a print version in bookstores on March 25, 2025 and comic shops on March 26, 2025.
Groupies
Having recently wrapped up the erotic thriller Somna at DSTLRY, artist Tula Lotay is kicking off a new collaboration with writer Helen Mullane (Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen). Groupies is billed as "a haunting story of sex, drugs, and rock and roll." Here's Comixology's official description of the new series:
On a wild night out at the Fox Club, the coolest, hottest, and wildest girls on (or off) the Sunset Strip meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, and sparks fly. The Moon Show’s stardom is about to rise as they celebrate getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records. The girls and the band share a magical night, a night that nobody wants to end.
As the story unfolds, the excited groupies head on tour with the band – living the dream – but their tuned-in and dropped-out idyll is about to unravel. Something dark is pulling the strings, and the girls are about to discover the true cost of rock and roll.
“Groupies is a dream to work on,” said Lotay. “I've known Helen for ages and we share exactly the same interests in horror and music so it's the perfect story for us to tell together – sexy, dark, twisted rock at the height of the Satanic Panic.”
Groupies #1 will be released digitally on October 22, 2024.
Both Kristantina and Lotay will be attending Comixology's SDCC panel "In the Mix with the Artists of Comixology Originals," which will be held on Thursday, July 25 from 1-2pm PT in Room 23ABC. Attendees will receive a ticket redeemable for a free Groupies poster at the Hyatt (seen above).
For more on this year's Comic-Con, check out the Marvel, Star Wars and Transformers figures Hasbro is selling at the show, and find out how to watch SDCC from home.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
