Ascender

In the aftermath of the events of Descender, Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen return to Image Comics with Ascender, a fantasy epic set years later on a world where all technology has been mysteriously destroyed and magic has returned. This 18-issue series follows a young girl named Mila as she searches for her father, Andy, in a realm now ruled by a tyrannical witch queen and her vampire-like minions. Lemire’s heartfelt, adventurous storytelling is perfectly matched by Nguyen’s lush, watercolor art, which shifts the tone from sci-fi to a haunting, fairy-tale aesthetic. A bold and beautiful continuation of its predecessor, Ascender stands as a masterful example of how a creative team can reinvent a universe while staying true to its emotional core.