First Second Books are currently in the midst of unveiling the covers of their graphic novels coming in Spring 2019, and revealed three books yesterday: “This Was Our Pact,” by Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Ryan Andrews, “Hawking,” by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick, and a new installment of “Maker Comics” titled “Create a Costume” by Sarah Myer.
“This Was Our Pact” is a coming-of-age story about a group of friends on a quest to prove a local folktale about a talking bear. Originally available through Gumroad, the mass market edition of Andrews’s webcomic will be released in June. Here’s the synopsis posted originally at Barnes & Noble:
Let’s follow the lanterns . . .
It’s the night of the annual Autumn Equinox Festival, when the town gathers to float paper lanterns down the river. Legend has it that after drifting out of sight, they’ll soar off to the Milky Way and turn into brilliant stars, but could that actually be true? This year, Ben and his classmates are determined to find out where those lanterns really go, and to ensure success in their mission, they’ve made a pact with two simple rules: No one turns for home. No one looks back.
The plan is to follow the river on their bikes for as long as it takes to learn the truth, but it isn’t long before the pact is broken by all except for Ben and (much to Ben’s disappointment) Nathaniel, the one kid who just doesn’t seem to fit in.
Together, Nathaniel and Ben will travel farther than anyone has ever gone, down a winding road full of magic, wonder, and unexpected friendship*.
*And a talking bear.
“Hawking” will tell the life story of the legendary physicist Stephen Hawking. Written by Jim Ottaviani and illustrated by Leland Myrick (who previously collaborated on First Second biography “Feynman” in 2011), the book has been in the works since 2013, well before Hawking’s death earlier this year. It will be in stores on July 2, 2019.
Finally, First Second announced the next book in their “Maker Comics” series, which launched in February. The third entry, “Maker Comics: Create A Costume,” is by comic book/storyboard artist and cosplayer Sarah Myer, and will teach kids how to create their own costumes through the story of Bea and Parker, two children preparing for a superhero convention. It will be published on August 6, 2019.
First Second’s Spring 2019 book cover reveals will continue into next week.
