What do you get when you mix a coming of age story with the worlds of paranormal, werewolves, and basketball? Well, thanks to Maverick and the team of writer Brian Hawkins and illustrator Ignacio di Meglio, you get the new YA original graphic novel Block'D, and we've got a brand new first look preview right here. Block'D tells the story of Cam Banter, a high school basketball star who is guarding a rather big secret. You see, Cam is also part of a pack of paranormal shifters who can change into werewolves, so while Cam is also worried about all the normal challenges of teen life, he's also trying to keep his abilities contained, and it's not going so well.
It Takes a Village
"Block'D is about the journey of self-discovery," said writer Brian Hawkins. "However, no individual is capable of really understanding who and what they are without a support system. What we find is that it truly is a village that raises individuals and Block'D captures this through the aspect of the family dynamic, specifically a father and son's struggling relationship, the concept of team, and finding and trusting your person."
"Block´d has been a blast from the beginning. Brian and I have worked together before and had a great synergy, so when we started talking about our next project, he mentioned his initial idea for Block´d and had me hooked with the mere mention of werewolves and basketball. Werewolves because they are my favorite mythical creature and basketball because it represents a challenge for me to depict it in a cool convincing way, and I love a good challenge," said illustrator Ignacio Di Meglio.
What is Block'D About?
"In a small but not too quiet town, Cam Banter, a high school basketball star with a monstrous secret – that he's part of a pack of paranormal shifters with the ability to change into werewolves – struggles to find his place on the team when his abilities begin to show and he's unable to control them. With an overbearing father whose expectations exceed Cam's capabilities Cam is capable of, teammates who no longer trust him or even like him, and a basketball rival from another school trying to rekindle things with one of the stars of the girls' basketball team that Cam has feelings for, he is left trying to figure things out by himself...That is until his new coach, who has a secret of his own, attempts to make a difference in his life. But will Cam let him in before it's too late? It's a teenage fight for survival as basketball, life, and the supernatural all clash."
Block'D will go on sale February 4th 2025, and is available for pre-order now FOR $14.99. You can check out a full preview on the next slide, and you can talk all things comics with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
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