Humanoids has announced Jerry Frissen and Roberto Zaghi’s Star-Crossed, a new original scifi graphic novel for February 2024. A near-future story, Star-Crossed depicts first contact between Earth and another civilisation…and the first romance to occur between the two species.
The synopsis:
“The dawn of a new era for humanity has arrived. First contact has been made with an advanced alien species known as the Eo’Tarx, and the two civilizations begin the path toward understanding. CIA linguist Danko Orton is dispatched, tasked with studying communication with the Eo’Tarx alongside his alien counterpart No’mi.
“But their work is quickly disrupted when it becomes clear that the two are attracted to one another, despite all barriers and obstacles. Will No’mi and Danko’s blossoming love compromise everything they’ve been working to build between their species?”
Writer and co-creator Jerry Frissen explains his interest in the premise:
“I’ve always wondered what would happen if humans encountered an advanced extraterrestrial civilization. Would there be hate and fear of the unknown? Or would we discover that love and intimacy are universal languages that cross all barriers? Star-Crossed is a sci fi thriller that grapples with those questions by showing the best and worst of humanity, along with some moments that even managed to surprise me as I was writing them.”
Frissen is a Belgian-born American writer commonly associated for his work with Humanoids – he wrote and co-created the Lucha Libre anthology series with various artists; World War X with Peter Snejberg; The Fire of Thesus with Francesco Trifogli; Exo with Philippe Scoffoni; and The Zombies That Ate The World with Guy Davis. He most recently has been writing Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s ongoing Metabaron spinoff series, the latest volume – The Metabaron Book 4: The Bastard & The Proto-Guardianess with artist Pete Woods – released in English in March 2023.
Roberto Zaghi is an Italian artist that built his name up in the 1990s with publishing house Sergio Bonelli. He has expanded into the French bande dessinée market, serving as artist on the newest volumes in the ongoing series Thomas Silane (with writers Patrice Buendia and Philippe Chanoinat) and Tramp (with series writer Jean-Charles Kraehn). His English language debut was with the Humanoids translation of Makhno: Ukrainian Freedom Fighter for their Life Drawn imprint in 2022; written by Philippe Thirault and translated by Nanette McGuinness. It was originally published in two volumes in France, one in 2019 and one in 2020. Star-Crossed – to be published as Attraction in France October 2023 – will be Zaghi’s second work available in English.
Check out some sample pages from the book below:
