AfterShock Comics released a first look at its upcoming young adult graphic novel, Rainbow Bridge, which will also be the first book in its Seismic Press imprint. This original YA graphic novel explores the concepts of grief and anxiety in a coming-of-age story format. Andy grew up with his dog Rocket, and the two were inseparable. But right before Andy starts high school, Rocket passes away. When he visits his dog's grave, Andy unlocks the Rainbow Bridge, allowing him to go on one more adventure with his dog in the afterlife of pets. However, something lurks within that Andy must help Rocket overcome.
Rainbow Bridge comes from the minds of writers Steve Orlando and Steve Foxe. Orlando previously worked on Heavy Metal's first YA story, Starward, and he's worked on DC Comics titles such as Midnighter as well as Batman & Robin Eternal. This is his first writing partnership with Foxe, who has worked on everything from Grumpy Cat to Batman, and he created Razorblades: The Horror Magazine with James Tynion IV. The art team includes artist Valentina Brancati (Les Ravencroft, Ghost Writer), who teaches Character Design for Animation and Comics at the International Comic School of Rome, colorist Manuel Poppo, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (First Knife).
In the ten-page preview for Rainbow Bridge from AfterShock Comics, readers are treated to a colorful landscape inhabited by an adorable dog running from shadow-like pets as well as some misadventures with Andy. The Rainbow Bridge acts as a sort of Bifröst for him to access this afterlife. Brancati's experience with character design work really shows here, creating some unique-looking shadow creatures. The assortment of colors from Poppo, which contrasts the vibrant, colorful paradise with shadow animals, gives this graphic novel a really refreshing and striking feel. The entire preview can be viewed below.
This graphic novel looks to be notable because it deals with some real-world issues that young adults have to go through. Reminiscent of how there's more to the afterlife of pets than just sunshine and rainbows, there are darker topics lurking that need to be addressed to and shouldn't be ignored. Orlando and Foxe, who were interviewed on the official AfterShock website below the preview for the Rainbow Brige, were asked about writing for a young adult audience. They said:
“Younger readers are looking for the same thing any reader wants to see: good stories done well. But writing for teens and preteens also means getting to be a little more emotionally forward—these are the years of our lives where everything can feel like the ONLY thing, whether that’s losing a friend or starting a new school or trying to figure out your feelings about another kid in your class."
Most importantly, the writers go on to say, "So we don’t write “down” to younger readers, but we do enjoy getting to go big and bold and hit the emotional beats hard, since our main audience is here for stories that make them think and make them feel something.”
It will be interesting to see where Seismic Press decides to go next, though it has been announced that one of their future books will be coming from the creators of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise and other previously released AfterShock Comics books that fit within the imprint will be reprinted through Seismic Press. Regardless, Rainbow Bridge will be setting the tone for the Seismic Press imprint as its first release, and it seems to be off to a good start based on the preview pages and the interview with the creative team. The book will be available in comic book stores on August 4, 2021, and in bookstores on August 17, 2021.
Source: AfterShock Comics