Maverick Announces New YA Graphic Novel by Jeremy Whitley | News and Preview

Today we’ve got the scoop on Navigating With You, a graphic novel by Princeless creator Jeremy Whitley and Brazilian indie artist Cassio Ribeiro that will be published by Mad Cave’s Maverick YA imprint. Here’s the publisher’s description:

Neesha Sparks is a disabled, vocal community activist with a passion for costume design. Gabby Graciana is an optimistic surfer – and, like Neesha, a new kid at school. When the two girls discover that they like the same manga series, Super Navigator Nozomi, they become more than just fellow new kids. But it was more than just having read the same book series–neither of them had finished it! Soon, they become new friends on a mission – to track down the remaining Super Navigator Nozomi books. This slice-of-life romance follows the two girls as they adventure across North Carolina to find each book, with their story intercut with the tales of Super Navigator Nozomi. Neesha and Gabby find more than just the books though—they find acceptance, friendship, understanding, and love.

Whitley was nominated for two Eisner Awards for Princeless, and since then he has written multiple volumes of that series and a number of other middle-grade and YA graphic novels, including School for Extraterrestrial Girls, The Dog Knight, Sea of Thieves, Rainbow Brite, and Marvel’s The Unstoppable Wasp. Here’s what he had to say about Navigating With You:

Navigating with You has been a passion project for me. It’s the kind of book I’ve always wanted to write and Maverick gave me the chance to do it. My goal was to create a beautiful story of friendship and romance with a side of fandom and how our loves – both romantic and fandom – help us find ourselves and work through trauma. Navigating with You is a story inspired by and dedicated to all of the amazing people who have come to my table at comic conventions over the last twelve years.

Maverick will publish the graphic novel on August 6, 2024, but we’ve got a preview to get you started. Enjoy!

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