DC Comics' most tragic romance is getting an all-new retelling, as the original graphic novel Victor & Nora: A Gotham Love Story will explore the early relationship of Victor Fries (Mr. Freeze) and Nora Kumar. The young adult tale will be a completely fresh take on both of the characters.
Victor & Nora: A Gotham Love Story will be the next YA take on a classic DC Comics character. So far, the publisher has released a handful of fantastic titles in the genre, including Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh, Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux and most recently The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp and Manuel Preitano. The graphic novels have breathed new life into popular DC characters by taking them on new journeys of discovery, finding their identity, romance, and heroism.
Lauren Myracle and Isaac Goodhart will team up on Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story, which is the duos second YA release under DC Comics following Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale. The new story will explore a Victor Fries meeting Nora Kumar for the first time. Dealing with his own grief of losing his brother, a 17-year-old Victor will meet Norah, a terminally ill teen who's determined to live out her life in Gotham. She plans on committing suicide on her birthday. The two will meet and fall in love and once Victor finds out about Norah's incurable disease, he'll use his dedication to science to try to find a cure. The story will use the tragic romance of Victor and Nora and reimagine it for a young adult audience. Honestly, it's a brilliant concept as Mr. Freeze's story lends itself perfectly to the YA world.
Isaac said in a press release, he's excited to explore the two's early romance and give Norah an equal billing.
The cool thing about our story is that we get to explore these characters from a different angle and see them when they first meet,” said Isaac. “We get to show them falling in love and understand what makes their relationship so strong. The thing I was most excited about was the chance to give Nora equal billing. The story is told through alternating perspectives, so we get to know Nora and her goals and motivations as much as we do Victor’s.
Mr. Freeze might seem like a silly character (largely thanks to his portrayal in Batman & Robin) but his backstory in DC Comics is heartbreaking. He famously turned himself into the supervillain we know today accidentally while searching for a cure for Norah's terminal illness. His motives have always been centered around bringing Norah back into his life. The YA exploration seems ripe to explore both Victor and Norah's early relationship and showcase their tragic love story in new and exciting ways. Victor & Nora: A Gotham Love Story will be available where books are sold on November 3rd, 2020.