Super Lunas
Series Synopsis
Super Lunas is an original action-fantasy comic series set in a version of the 1990s that never quite existed—a world where skateparks sit beside ancient ruins, magic and old technology blur together, and teenagers uncover secrets meant to stay buried.
At the heart of the series is Jake Luna, a 15-year-old boy who inherits a mysterious, living sword known as the Girga-Kesh, a relic from a forgotten war with a will of its own. Jake is joined by his younger brother Ben, the sharp-witted Emma, their best friends Malcolm and Bucky, and a growing circle of allies and adversaries as they begin to uncover the truth about their strange, broken world.
But their home, known only as The City, is fractured and its collapse is imminent. As dark mages rise and old powers awaken, Jake and his friends are soon forced into the wider, stranger world beyond its walls—a terrifying fantasy landscape filled with haunted wastelands, shattered fortresses, rogue wizards, and twisted magical relics.
Grudgingly guiding them is Kade, a retired war mage turned bookstore owner who becomes the group’s reluctant mentor. He knows more than he lets on and is most definitely hiding secrets of his own.
The team’s mission is clear: hunt down other wielders of Girga weapons, cursed relics that grant terrifying power and often corrupt their users. But Jake’s sword, the Girga-Kesh, may be unlike the others—and the deeper he bonds with it, the more he’s haunted by glimpses of a possible future where he becomes a dark figure known only as The Shadow Man.
Super Lunas is funny, fast, weird, and heartfelt. A mix of coming-of-age storytelling, magical punk fantasy, and 199X adventure energy. Each arc dives deeper into the origins of the Girgas while always returning to its core: a group of kids trying to stay together as their world falls apart.
Super Lunas
Book 1 Overview
Book One of Super Lunas introduces Jake Luna as the new wielder of the Girga-Kesh, a living sword with a monstrous will.
We also meet Jake’s younger brother Ben, the skeptical and curious Emma, the tech-savvy Malcolm, the free-spirited Bucky, and their reluctant mentor Kade, an ex-mage who now runs a dusty bookstore where he keeps a watchful eye on the strange magic stirring in the world.
Kade helps Jake claim the Girga-Kesh, then tasks the boy with his first mission: to retrieve a powerful tome called the Omnidoctrina from a hoarding giant known as The Collector. This book is vital to Jake’s mission because it contains critical information about the outside world—ancient texts, spells, prophecy, and history. The Collector resides atop The Altar of Mulgrah, a tower made of the bones of his ancestors. He is himself a relic—arrogant, vain, and powerful.
Jake and Emma teleport to the Altar using a magical Traveling Cloak. There, they argue with and battle The Collector who, in the end, destroys the tower before he’s able to steal the Girga-Kesh for his own. Jake and Emma narrowly escape with the book and find that the Omnidoctrina holds more than just historical knowledge—it contains a name written in ancient ink: Jake Luna. It also carries a cryptic warning about the Girga-Kesh: “One must not wield it. One must not listen. One must not trust.”
Book One’s major threat emerges in the form of The Daughters of Hollowstar, a trio of ancient vampire witches who have been hiding in plain sight in the penthouse suite of a swanky downtown high rise, feeding on pizza delivery boys. Their plan is set in motion when they kidnap Bucky and Ben—the latest employees for Peppi’s Pizza—and begin preparing for a disgusting transformation where they’ll merge into a gigantic, horrific blob-monster with an insatiable appetite for blood and extra cheese.
As Jake, Emma, and Malcolm race to save their friends, Emma begins to experience psychic echoes that connect her to the Hollowstar witches. In the climax, the group battles the witches, but Jake is bitten, infected with a curse tied to his own growing power.
As the group begins to understand the scope of what they’ve uncovered, darker forces awaken. Floating above the crumbling City are eerie, silent mage-sentinels, remnants of a once-powerful magical bureaucracy. They “protect” what remains—but are powerless against what comes next. The darkest of dark mages—The Shadow Man—has emerged from the blackness and is readying his forces.
Super Lunas
Series Format Vision
With regard to series format, I’m very open to Image Comics’ insight and experience in helping to determine the best path forward, but I initially see Super Lunas unfolding in one of three possible ways:
Standard Comic Arc – The traditional Image model: six monthly, 20-page issues collected into a trade paperback. I also think a version of this model could work where an approach is considered similar to UltraMega or Head Lopper. Fewer yearly issues with higher page counts.
Yearly Digest-Size Volume – A ~200-page digest released once per year, similar to Scott Pilgrim or traditional manga. This format might allow for more story momentum per release. I love the smaller dimensions being used on the Invincible re-releases, the Clementine books, and even the new line of DC’s Compact Comics series.
Annual Oversized Graphic Novel – One 70–80 page, 8"x11" hard/softcover release per year, in a premium storybook format that supports the cinematic, all-ages-ish-but-not-childish tone of the series. I love how Image did this with Chronicles of Hate, The Fall, and Skinbreaker. This format could fit the tone of Super Lunas well, with larger, more inventive page/panel design for an immersive experience. Plus, each volume would feel like an event. These would be similar to Jim Rugg’s Street Angel large format Image releases, Sam Bosma’s Fantasy Sports series, or the Hilda books.
Deciding on format will be key because choosing one treatment over another wouldn’t mean a simple resize of the artwork. I’d design each approach very differently. The pitch you’ve just read is more “US comic standard format",” but if a digest-sized book ended up being the recommended way forward, I’d include no more than 5 panels per page to create a faster, more energetic experience, whereas a the large format approach would allow for more dynamic art and storytelling not possible in smaller book dimensions.
No matter the format, my intent is to deliver Super Lunas as a long-running, creator-owned series with clear arcs, evolving tone, and deep emotional payoff.
Above all, thank you for taking the time to review my submission, I’m hopeful we can talk together soon.
Kevin Hilliker
kmhilliker@gmail.com
724-513-3206