The epic medieval fantasy graphic novel series Winds of Numa Sera is going to be published by The Lord of the Rings.
Winds of Numa Sera is an ambitious project by writers Morgan Rosenblum and Jonny Handler (Treadwater) and an impressive lineup of artists including Eduard Petrovich (X-Men, Spider-Man), Filipe Andrade (the book series that inspired Game of Thrones) famous. Besides Empress Lelia, the comics will follow Kelesandra, a Baron’s daughter who seeks a forbidden life, Krill, a stable boy framed for murder, and Sjorsja, a warrior who seeks to change the ways of his people.
Rosenblum revealed in The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones," Rosenblum says, "And yes, we fully realize the gravity of that statement." While fantasy fans are usually very attracted to such levels of detail, world-building alone is not enough to guarantee the quality of a project, not without the same amount of character-building. Luckily, Winds of Numa Sera's team seems to have everything covered: "We've crafted these characters to be flawed and relatable - familiar but also unique."
It's clear that the creators are highly committed to bringing to their readers a product of the best quality possible: "Winds of Numa Sera is the biggest creative endeavor that we have taken on as creators to date," Rosenblum says, "Every single person that worked on this book (and there are a lot) brought their A-game, and it shows." Still, this is no guarantee that the series will find that kind of success that Rosenblum's high-stakes comparisons would entail. Multiple points of view seem to be the norm in fantasy nowadays, but they can lead to convoluted narrative outcomes that do not necessarily resonate with the audience, as proved by the lukewarm reception of the final seasons of Game of Thrones. According to the Winds of Numa Sera Kickstarter, the main characters will be introduced on separate personalized journeys. As the series progresses, the protagonists in one story become antagonists in another, and the separate storylines will slowly weave together into a large cohesive narrative.
What is certain is that the team behind the project is not afraid of being ambitious. "We didn't write this book to be average or just okay. We're going for an Eisner with this one," Rosenblum says, "And we really believe this book will be in consideration for one once it's out." Readers will judge for themselves whether Dark Horse's Winds of Numa Sera collection lives up to the standards of The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones when it goes on sale on June 4.
Source: Newsarama, Kickstarter
