Posted in: Comics, Indie Comics | Tagged: graphic novel, kickstarter, LGBTQ, phil briones, twin kings battle, ya

Twin Kings Battle: Phil Briones's Kickstarter for YA LGBTQ Comic

Phil Briones is launching a new Kickstarter campaign for his new YA graphic novel Twin Kings Battle this Thursday. It covers LGBTQ themes and also influences from manga and Chinese fantasy TV series. Without further ado, we present his official press release:

"AFTER THE OUTSTANDING SUCCESS OF THE "NOIR IS THE NEW BLACK" ANTHOLOGY, FAIRSQUARE COMICS IS BACK WITH A SUPERNATURAL QUEER DRAMA FROM PHIL BRIONES!

Are you ready for an emotional queer ride?

We hope so because TWIN KINGS' BATTLE is going to put your heart to the test!

Liam, a seemingly ordinary student, has a secret. A secret so profound that it places those who get too close in peril. When a series of unfortunate events begin to erupt around him, he faces the weight of his secret shattering the world at his very feet.

Enter Nathanael: A tall, dark, and mysterious man, who will guide Liam as he seeks his destiny against dark forces threatening the very fate of two universes. Through their growing bond, they'll face challenges more powerful than either of them could have imagined or could hope to defeat alone. Unraveling the intrigue of this threat will lead you inexorably back to the greatest mystery of all: Who are the Twin Kings?!

Twin King's Battle is a story inspired by the best Asian romance tales of all mediums, including manga/manga, tv series, and literature. It's a sentimental queer multi-layered drama fueled by supernatural and mystical elements. Our heroes' larger than life adventures won't leave you stone cold. Emotions are the seeds of this graphic novel, similar to any traditional "boy's love" or "bromance." Thanks to the powerful expressive art of Phil Briones, these elements are taken to the next level! If you've ever seen the Chinese hit series The Untamed, you will absolutely LOVE Twin Kings' Battle.

Wait… What if I'm not Queer? Can I still be interested?

AB-SO-LU-TELY! Love is Love. And Twin Kings' Battle is not a gay-centric story. It's mainly a story about love, friendship, and figuring out our place in this universe – also with cool Dragons, swords, magical mysteries, and humor. Whether you're straight, male, female, trans, non-binary, metrosexual, or even an alien, you'll LOVE this graphic novel. Oh, and don't be afraid to bring tissue… We're not going to spoil the end of the first volume for you, but it's intense.

Art without shackles

What sets Twin Kings' Battle apart from other graphic novels is the special tender love and care Phil Briones put in the creation of the main characters.

Though he's mostly known to American audiences as an artist, this is not his first rodeo as a writer and color artist.  Phil Briones has enjoyed a successful career in animation (at Disney, working on movies such as Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove or A Goofy Movie), before transitioning to comics, first in his home country, France, then in the United States.

His body of work includes:

IN FRANCE

• La Geste des Chevaliers Dragon (Soleil)
• Wanderers w/Chris Claremont (Soleil/Panini)
• Geek Agency (Ankama)
• 7 Héros (Delcourt)
• Vikings & Sirènes (Humanoides Associés)

IN THE USA

• White Tiger (Marvel)
• Captain America (Marvel)
• X-Men (Marvel)
• Iron Man vs. Whiplash (Marvel)
• American Son (Marvel)
• Suicide Squad (DC)
• Detective Comics (DC)
• Katana (DC)
• Aquaman Rebirth (DC)
• Ignited (Humanoids)

Now, with Twin Kings' Battle, Phil delivers his most ambitious and personal work to date. His first-ever full creator-owned series.
"Twin Kings' Battle is the graphic novel I really wanted to offer. There's a piece of me in each one of the main characters: who I am, my personality, my experience, my joys, my fears… Everything. It's pure love. I'm sharing the love for these characters, for this story that I've had in me for a long time.

It's my most personal work to date because, for the first time, I'm doing everything: I write, I draw, I color. I guess if you want to know more about me, you'll have to read Twin Kings' Battle! (laughs)"

The Graphic Novel and the FairSquare Comics Experience

This graphic novel is unique. Phil is, of course, quite unique. But FairSquare Comics is a publisher unlike any other. We don't just publish comics and graphic novels for the sake of publishing them. Every book is special. Since the company was founded in 2019, we have committed to releasing graphic novels that wouldn't even be considered elsewhere. Graphic novels from underrepresented and overlooked creators: Immigrants (like Fabrice Sapolsky, the publisher/Editor). Other minorities like creators from the Noir Is the New Black anthology or co-editor TC Harris. Queer creators and many more!

We call it "Comics For The Rest of Us".

Fabrice Sapolsky sums it up: "Sure, other publishers will promote diversity, and that's awesome. But at FairSquare Comics, it's in our DNA. We offer competitive deals to our creators, allowing them to retain 100% of their rights. Creators are fairly compensated for their hard work because creating comics is not a hobby, it's a job. By supporting our books like One-Hit Wonder, Noir Is The New Black, Twin Kings' Battle, and all the incredible graphic novels to come, you're supporting talent. You're giving a chance to the real diversity. Yes, our books are a little bit more expensive. But if we can buy expensive organic groceries and support fair trade, we can definitely support creators and their graphic novels a bit better, right?"

Twin Kings' Battle Vol. 1 will be a 144 pages premium graphic novel:  80 lbs matte interior stock, 130 lbs soft-touch cover stock. Square bound and sent in a special protective sleeve to avoid damages. Yes, we care.

The Graphic Novel debuts on Kickstarter on October 8 (until Oct.31^st).
Many tiers are available, including monthly digital deliveries and special dust jacket variants from Phil Briones and Yanick Paquette!

Retailers aren't forgotten with special packages that will include other FairSquare Comics graphic novels PLUS, a retailer exclusive variant drawn by Jim Cheung, and a super rare comic book printing (100 copies) of the first Twin Kings Battle chapter with a specific cover.

THE TWIN KINGS BATTLE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN STARTS HERE:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1hitwonder/twin-kings-battle

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