While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to reconcile our relationship with germs, for some, they’ve always been invisible, deadly monsters that must be defeated at any cost.
That’s the case for psychic teenager Rowan Sterling, the protagonist of the upcoming graphic novel The Harrowing from Abrams imprint Fanfare. Illustrated by comics veteran Rye Hickman and written by comics newcomer Kristen Kiesling, The Harrowing examines “right” and “wrong” through a thriller lens with horror elements.
As a child, Rowan receives a pair of gloves matching her mother’s and is instructed to wear them at all times when she’s in public because germs are everywhere. Rowan is scared of germs but also embarrassed to wear the gloves because they make her a target of bullying. Then she meets Lucas, who not only doesn’t care about her gloves but actively helps her fight the invisible germ monsters. For a while, things get easier for Rowan. Then her mother is murdered and the grief is overwhelming.
Two years later, Rowan “almost, nearly, finally” kisses Lucas, whom she’s secretly been crushing on for ages. She’s 17 years old and has plenty of normal teenager stuff to worry about—but she’s also having bloody, violent premonitions that are becoming more common and more visceral. When Rowan goes to her dad for help, she’s drugged, kidnapped, and taken to a testing facility called Rosewood. There, teens like her with special abilities are trained to become Harrows.
“Harrows can view the actions of would-be murderers before they commit crimes, and the scientists at Rosewood believe it is their duty to use the Harrows’ powers to make the world a safer place,” said Kiesling in a statement. “Rowan is immediately drawn to Rosewood’s mission. After all, she lost her mother to a random act of violence two years prior. However, some of the other Harrows question the treatment of imcrims. How can it be ethical to imprison people who haven’t actually done anything yet?”
At first, Rowan believes in her mission as a death seer. But when she returns home, she has a vision of Lucas killing someone, which seems impossible to her. Rather than go after him the way she’s been trained, she tries to protect him from the other Harrows as she reexamines who’s wrong and who’s right.
“Whether or not the ends justify the means is the fraught question at the heart of Rosewood,” said Hickman. “Rowan is a good-hearted and passionate teen whose desire to help make the world a better place leaves her open to manipulation, and whose horrifying psychic powers mean she really can change the world for the better.”
The Mary Sue can exclusively reveal The Harrowing trailer, seen below.
Stories about people being forced to turn against their loved ones “for the greater good” are common, but few are as dark as The Harrowing. In the exclusive preview below, Rowan’s mother mentions “running away” and worries that someday, her daughter may be “like me.” Is she a Harrow who left that world behind? Has she suffered for it? Is that why she’s murdered? We don’t have the answers to these questions yet, but we do have some insight into Rowan’s childhood and her close relationship with Lucas.
About the preview, Hickman told The Mary Sue, “In this segment, we meet a very young Rowan. The art here deliberately matches her childhood innocence with her sharp observational ability and the sometimes-dark, sometimes-lovely things she is learning about the world.”
The Harrowing has a limited color palette, making Rowan and her mom’s bright red gloves even more obvious. Actions, onomatopoeias, and monster parts are also in red, creating a puzzle for readers as they read this suspenseful, grief-ridden thriller.
“Many of us have that moment in childhood when our beliefs about ourselves or our families are shattered. The Harrowing is the story of a young woman named Rowan who realizes that the work her family does is something to be ashamed of. Maybe, it turns out, kindness is reserved for those who look and act like everyone else?” Kiesling told The Mary Sue.
“Fortunately for Rowan, her new friend Lucas doesn’t care what everyone else thinks. He slays her invisible monsters and offers a window for Rowan to see a world where she isn’t alone. The Harrowing is my first graphic novel and it was honestly my great privilege to collaborate with the incredible artist Rye Hickman. Rye’s distinctive style infuses each page with an edgy, captivating, and evocative touch. Their art filled me with an equal mix of joy (of our collaboration) and horror (for Rowan and her journey),” she continued.
The Harrowing will be available everywhere books are sold on April 16. Pre-orders are available now.
(featured image: Fanfare / Abrams)
