Today, the Comics Beat is proud to share an exclusive cover reveal of A SPARROW’S ROAR, an upcoming original graphic novel from cartoonist C.R. Chua and co-writer Paolo Chikiamco. A Sparrow’s Roar is the latest release from BOOM! Studios imprint BOOM! Box, who have a stellar record of publishing incredible series such as Lumberjanes, Giant Days and Goldie Vance and very intriguing graphic novels such as The Avant-Guards, Misfit City and Fence. A Sparrow’s Roar will debut in stores and digitally in October 2019.
The two creators of A Sparrow’s Roar have an incredible track records. C.R. Chua has worked for BOOM! Studio in the past as an artist and colorist on Adventure Time, Steven Universe and Regular Show. She is also an artist who’s been interested in themes of identity and self-realization and seems to be a perfect fit to work with Paolo Chikiamco, who’s been interested in similar themes. Paolo Chikiamco is a Filipino writer of prose, comics and interactive fiction and has served as a judge for the Graphic Literature category of the National Book Awards in the Philippines. The premise of the graphic novel intersects a few a of their interest as it focus on a young knight who must assume the identity of her sister in order to save her kingdom. It tackles grief in a fantasy world filled with intrigue, secret identity and incoming disaster.
Here’s how BOOM! Studios describe the A Sparrow’s Roar:
“Elena of Esterpike is the revered commander of the most famed warriors in all the land— the legendary Lions of Esterpike. But when disaster strikes, it is her sister Per, a mere knight-in-training, who must gather allies in the face of an enemy even the Lions could not defeat. Together with the help of Elena’s second-in-command Amelia, Per takes on the role of her perfect older sister as she travels to the capital city to rally the troops and convince the generals of their neighboring city-states to provide aid against the oncoming horde. But she’ll have to stay on her toes as the poisonous intrigue of the court tears away at her secret identity and makes it that much harder to build the forces necessary to fend off the coming invasion.”
It’s an interesting take on identity, the meaning of it, and how it is rebuilt in the face of lost. C.R. Chua had this to say about the story: At its core, it’s a story about brothers and sisters, about filling the spaces they leave behind, and about the power of a stubbornly awkward cog to wreck the most meticulously designed of machines. I also love drawing ladies in armor very, very much.”
We’re not the only ones who are excited for this graphic novel. Shannon Watters, Senior Editor at BOOM! Studios was ecstatic to share her thoughts on this new graphic novel: “A Sparrow’s Roar is a beautiful fantasy tale, full of intrigue, dueling knights, and science, that truly delves deep into the ideas of identity and what it takes to step up to the fight. The gorgeous illustrations and intriguing characters will instantly hook any fan of high fantasy and grand adventures!”
Without further ado, see below for an exclusive cover preview of A SPARROW’S ROAR.
