Artist Simon Bournel-Bosson’s debut graphic novel, Trumpets of Death, hits shelves next week and The Beat has an exclusive first look. Published by Lerner Publishing Group imprint Graphic Universe, the young adult graphic novel follows teenager Antoine, whose already upsetting circumstances become even more pressing after a shocking brush with nature.
Here’s the full synopsis:
One rainy night, Antoine gets dropped off at his grandparents’ remote house in the middle of the woods. While his absent father searches for his mysteriously missing mother, Antoine is stuck between a doting grandmother and a grandfather openly hostile to his presence, and time crawls by while he waits to hear from his parents. But when Antoine ventures out with his grandfather to forage for mushrooms, the wrong mushroom leads to a stunning transformation for Antoine. The family’s intergenerational conflict, coupled with the mysterious forces of nature, culminate in a fearsome hunt through the forest that will resolve their differences once and for all—but at what cost?
Check out interior art from Trumpets of Death below.
“I thought of Trumpets of Death as a two-part mirror story—where the fantastic responds to the silences and voids that reality creates,” said Bournel-Bosson.
“Trumpets of Death strikes a perfect balance between propulsive action sequences and touching emotional moments while exploring intergenerational conflict, the dangers of regressive gender roles, and the delicate line between vulnerability and power,” said Sean Tulien, Editorial Director of Graphic Universe/Lerner. “Simon Bournel-Bosson has crafted one of the best examples of magical realism in comics, showing how nature (human and otherwise) shapes us all, for better or worse. The satisfying conclusion leaves space for interpretation and debate, urging the reader to give it a reread (or three) to further explore the beautiful, complicated world Bournel-Bosson has brought to life.”
Trumpets of Death will be available everywhere books are sold on August 5.
English (US) · 