Heaven: Graphic Novel Series

Heaven is a world in turmoil, its ecosystems crumbling. The Peoples are caught in the middle of a war between the Old Ones – a mycelial civilisation that lives in symbiosis with humans - and an alien robot culture, The Machines. Both sides are battling for human hearts and minds.

May and Destiny, two young women both orphaned as girls whose lives have taken them to opposite sides in a brutal war for their world - Heaven. May is a shaman and spiritual warrior fighting for the Peoples; Destiny a ruthless leader of The Way whose aim is to destroy the ancient culture of the planet and then exploit its resources. When Daniel arrives, a Newcomer from Earth, they are all drawn into a final battle to decide the fate of Heaven.

Daniel wakes up in Heaven, in his hand a strange coin, and a sense that some dark force has entered him. He has no idea where he is, or how he got there. But inside is Angel’s voice, calling to him; he sets out to find her. Teen Little Bird and a talking dog called Dog guide him to May, in the temple retreat of First Grandmother. They teach him that he is part of a story going back to the Stone Age. He must now accept initiation into the ancient religion and connect with the Old Ones.

As ruthless fighters pursue them, Dog leads Daniel across ruined landscapes, devastated by The Way. He narrowly escapes outlaws and Way trackers, is taken by a wolf pack to get a glimpse into his future, then loses Dog. Daniel hears conflicting opinions about Angel – she is a recluse, or a traitor; she is wise and powerful, or a treacherous mage. When he meets her, it seems she is all these things.

About the creators

Heaven started as one of Alan’s short stories – published, prize-winning, and broadcast by ABC Radio National – then a meeting over coffee at Murdoch University Library between Alan and John began the journey of its transformation. Now it’s a graphic novel series from author Alan Hancock and illustrator John Busby. Book One: Guide My Steps is close to finished with a completed draft form; Books Two and Three are complete as written outlines.

Together they have created a world that is both strange and strangely like our own. It’s a world with a complex history going back to the Stone Age, its origins on Ice Age Earth. The story interweaves the journeys of its four main characters as they move through time and a range of dramatic landscapes, a story with many surprises and unexpected revelations, pushing the characters towards an inescapable climax.

Heaven brings together very human characters caught between powerful inhuman forces, as they battle for the future of a world that is sliding towards destruction. It’s a planet far from our own, but facing similar problems. Except on Heaven everything is extreme, weird, and moving extremely fast.

Alan Hancock

Alan does the words. He plans the story-line, sketches out characters and settings, and writes the dialogue. He has created the vast and rich history of the world of Heaven. Alan’s writing has been published world-wide and produced by the BBC and ABC.

You can find out more about Alan’s work on his website here.

John Busby

John does the pictures. He turns the words into images: complex landscapes, living and breathing characters, dramatic action, a sweeping panorama of Heaven that moves through time and space. John’s background in game development, writing, and illustration have all come together in designing the characters and aesthetic for the world of Heaven.

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