Aabria Iyengar, known for her work in the actual play space with Critical Role, Dimension 20, and Worlds Beyond Number, is teaming up with webcomic Mari Costa for a brand new project. The Fade is a magical coming-of-age story centered around a viral challenge to enter a fantastical world.
“The Fade was the brainchild of a dozen dozen conversations I’ve had with friends about why isekais are such compelling narratives,” Iyengar told Polygon via email. “What makes us fall in love with the idea of falling into other worlds in the fiction we consume? Why are we so eager to escape? From there a story about having a foot in both worlds just naturally sprang up!”
The official synopsis is as follows:
A once fearless highschooler, Jeannie wasn’t prepared for the aimless feeling of being a college freshman, but that’s all about to change! Mirror myths take on new life in the modern age, as countless have claimed to have passed into a realm called “The Fade” in their dreams via a viral internet sensation, but what awaits Jeannie and her best friend Arno on the other side? Royale quests, ancient prophecies, or something far more dangerous…?
The character lineup features some gorgeous designs. It’s amusing to see a regular hoodie-clad college freshman there with some fantastical figures.
“Aabria gave me SUCH strong visuals it got me to fall in love with the characters and world immediately,” Costa wrote Polygon in an email interview. “I desperately wanted to contribute my own brand of self indulgent nonsense into the designs, though, so I ended up injecting a LOT of old fantasy manga/JRPGs and high fashion aesthetics into the characters. Especially the fae. I have an insane [digital vision] board going on with collected references for everything.”
There’s no way to dance around how much A Court of Fey and Flowers influenced the vibes of this story!“ Iyengar added. ”There’s something about the over-the-top romance and grandeur and adventure in modern fae lore that just pulls me in…it’s like taking a full fantasy realm and reducing it on the stove to a thick syrup of drama! Visually, I just wanted to empower Mari to push every slider to the extreme! There’s nothing more fun than just yelling ’”DO THE MOST! EVERYTHING IS BUCKWILD HERE!’ and getting to marvel at what an absolute genius throws back at you!”
The first issue will be available in comic shops Nov. 6, but can be pre-ordered before then. Digital copies will be available via Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, and more. Check out the main cover and the variant by Stephanie Han below.
