Wendy Xu‘s and Suzanne Walker‘s Mooncakes takes on new life this October, when the popular webcomic hits print as a graphic novel from Lion Forge Comics. The magical story follows Nova and Tam, a powerful young witch and a genderqueer werewolf, respectively, as dark circumstances reunite the childhood friends in their hometown. Romance brews in spite of the giant horse demon in the woods and the conspiracy behind who’s controlling it, as Nova and Tam explore a different stage in their relationship.
Today, The Beat can reveal the full first chapter of the graphic novel, which is completely redrawn — so if you’ve read the webcomic, which started in 2015, you’ll definitely notice some differences. In this chapter, Tam returns home and we get our first peak at the monster, as well as Nova’s life with her aunts and her magical prowess.
Here’s the full Mooncakes plot synopsis:
Nova Huang is still young, but she’s one of the most powerful witches in New England. She spends her days working in her grandmothers’ spell book shop and her nights hunting down the supernatural.
Tam Lang, a genderqueer werewolf, was Nova’s childhood crush. Tam has been wandering from place to place for years until the one fateful night they find themselves back in their hometown… battling a giant horse demon in the woods.
Tam turns to Nova for help, and their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Check out the full first chapter below (click the thumbnails to enlarge). The Mooncakes graphic novel by Walker, Xu and letterer Joamette Gil hits comic shops October 2 and bookstores October 15. You can pre-order a copy today.
Disclaimer: The Beat is owned by Polarity, which also owns Lion Forge Comics.
