PREVIEW: Get lost in Jason Shiga’s mind bending fantasy LEVIATHAN

Cartoonist Jason Shiga is a national treasure and one of the most original and unduplicated storytellers currently working. Her’s been called a genius many times…probably because he is!

His mind-bending comics play with the form via puzzles, mazes, math problems and choose your own adventure type storytelling…but also tell intense and satisfying stories as the reader becomes a participant in them. (Somebody please bring Bookhunter back into print!)

In 2010 Meanwhile became a surprise bestseller – more than 100,000 copies sold – with an interactive story that tasked readers to decide whether to test a mind-reading device, a time machine, or a doomsday machine…and also choosing what flavor of ice cream to get, with some of those decisions resulting in the end of the world.

And now, Shiga is doing this one better with an entire series based on the same kind of interactive storytelling. Leviathan is the first book in a new series of interactive graphic novels called Adventuregame Comics, to be published by Abrams.

In Leviathan, which is set in a medieval fantasy world, readers decide how to defeat a mysterious sea monster, following the story from panel to panel using tubes that connect them. Once choices are made, the story splits off into different results, meaning you can read this many different ways.

More from the publisher blurb:

Leviathan is set in a medieval coastal village, where residents live in fear of a giant sea creature. Your goal as a reader is simple: defeat the Leviathan! As you wander through the open world, the town’s backstory is revealed. You can attempt to visit the library to try and learn why the Leviathan destroyed it years ago. You can stop by the castle to discover the town was once riddled with crime and theft—and how that’s stopped as the Leviathan will wreak havoc on the town for the smallest misdeeds. If you’re lucky, you may find your way to the old wizard who may possess the one thing that could keep the Leviathan at bay. But not everything is as it appears in this village. Can you discover the secrets and stop the Leviathan before it’s too late? Jason Shiga is a cartoonist from Oakland, California. His comics have a geeky side, and often feature exciting uses of math, mazes, puzzles, and unconventional narrative techniques. In his 25 year career, Shiga has created 8 graphic novels, 20 comic books, over a dozen magazine and newspaper strips and the world’s second-largest interactive comic. He has won 2 Eisner awards, 2 Ignatz awards and his work has been featured as an official selection for the Comics Festival in Angoulême.144pgs two-colour hardcover.

We’re just huge Jason Shiga fans here at The Beat, and we’re thrilled to present a sneak peek at Leviathan. The book goes on sale on August 2md, or you can preorder via Amazon (affiliate link), Bookshop.org, or your favorite comics shop. 

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