Navigating gender, identity, adulthood, and burgeoning magical powers is hard enough without having to take up new responsibilities when your parent disappears. For young Victoria Seel, the witchy protagonist in Heirs of the Veil by Seaquential Arts (spouse team Phineas Klier and Jasper Klier), life keeps getting more complicated, and while new acquaintances are helping her find information and cope with the changes, they’re also exposing a whole new rash of secrets… some of which are more than a little deadly.
Oh, and this is very important: Victoria has a cat named Icarus, affectionately nicknamed Icky. (You’re welcome.)
Here’s the full synopsis:
The inexperienced witch Victoria Seel arrives in the town Port Arbores after receiving a mysterious letter from her mother, who has vanished under peculiar circumstances a year prior. After a run-in with a wind-spirit, the secret protector of the town called the Strayer might be able to help her, but the search for clues turns out to be more difficult than first expected. Soon Victoria has to face a threat directly linked to her mother’s disappearance.
Heirs of the Veil is an Urban Fantasy story that deals with topics of taking on responsibilities and growing up, and is directed at ages 15+.
CW: Transphobia, body horror, mental illness (depression, childhood emotional neglect), character death, strangulation, violence, blood
Heirs of the Veil is a phenomenally detailed, gorgeous comic about magic, relationships, and responsibility. The Kliers have crafted a world that’s home to dozens of humans and non-humans alike, with queer and trans characters taking the spotlight. When Victoria meets Cortez Velasquez, the “Strayer” of Port Arbores, he begrudgingly helps her find her footing as she searches for her mom; in the interim, she meets his fiancé, the worrisome and kind Ernst Yilzmaz, as well as secondary characters like Poe, a café owner and landlord who feels fully realized, even with very little page time.
Phineas Klier’s art is super dynamic, with intricately-detailed panel backgrounds that add lush depth to the story without distracting from the characters, which is a hard balance to strike. The characters are wildly expressive and their body language is always clearly communicated, not just through their actual poses but through excellently-rendered colors and visual effects. The amount of care put into every panel is honestly staggering, and it creates such a rich reading experience that I can’t properly put it into words.
Jasper Klier’s writing, likewise, is super sharp and gives the characters distinct voices and motivations, even when the reader doesn’t know exactly why a character is reacting to something the way they are. At no point does it feel like this creative team is leading the reader astray, or forcefully attempting to evoke emotions. Everything feels genuine, which makes it easy to fall right into this world and fall head-over-heels for everyone in it.
Currently in its fourth chapter, Heirs of the Veil updates Mondays. You can also read the comic on Tapas and Webtoon, though please be aware the latter is a chapter behind at time of writing.
If you want to support Heirs of the Veil and Seaquential Arts, you can pledge on Patreon. To keep up with Phineas on Twitter, follow them @phineas_klier, and to keep up with Jasper on Twitter, follow him at @SpitefulPumpkin.
