Mad Cave Studios’ young adult imprint Maverick has announced a new queer beat ’em up romantic comedy debuting next spring. Today, The Beat can exclusively reveal Beat Every 1-Up, the graphic novel written by Lan Pitts, illustrated by Joe Hunter, and lettered by Frank Cvetkovic.
Beat Every 1-Up follows Princess Helia of Terrager, a fighter on a quest to save her fiancé after he’s kidnapped by the villainous ape, Gogo. She’s joined by her friend and bodyguard, the ice witch Sidra—but as they grow closer on their harrowing journey, they realize their feelings for each other might be more than platonic.
Here’s the full synopsis:
Listen up! This is the fisticuff-filled tale of Princess Helia of Terrager! A natural-born fighter since childhood, Helia must head out into the wider world when her soon-to-be-husband is groom-napped on their wedding day by the atrocious ape and would-be world conqueror, Gogo. But what does a sheltered princess know of the other realms? Turns out, not a whole lot.
Luckily, Helia is joined by her (only) friend and bodyguard, the ice witch Sidra. Together, the pair will brave the deserts of Flaterra, the blizzards of Frosterra…uh, you get the idea…until they’ve rescued the wayward prince, thwarted Gogo, and punched every henchman they can find. And maybe, by the end of their journey, Helia and Sidra will realize their connection goes beyond mere friendship…
Check out interior and cover art for Beat Every 1-Up below.
“If Beat Every 1-Up had dropped when I was a kid, it would’ve rewired my brain,” said Pitts. “I would’ve drawn these characters in the margins of every notebook and tried to recreate the fight scenes in my backyard. It’s fists, feels, and first love—the kind of story I didn’t know I needed back then, and the one I’m proud to help bring into the world now.”
Hunter added, “I’m extremely proud to be working with Lan on a book that is both funny and bursting with queerness. Young readers deserve to see themselves in characters like Helia and Sidra, and I can’t wait for them to learn what it means to embrace the things you love (and that compulsory heteronormativity is a prison)!”
Beat Every 1-Up will be available everywhere books are sold on March 17, 2026, and at your local comic shop on March 18, 2026. Pre-orders are available now.
English (US) · 