Ken Niimura, artist on the acclaimed and award-winning graphic novel I Kill Giants (written by Joe Kelly), returns with Henshin. The short stories of Henshin present a unique vision of Japanese life, presented in English for the first time by Image Comics in January.

“Henshin” means “transformation” in Japanese, and in all 13 stories, Niimura shows how choices and events — whether momentous or seemingly insignificant — can change the lives of his protagonists.

Niimura’s imaginative storytelling finds its way into the emotional lives of his characters, from a kid with peculiar powers to a lonely girl finding her way in the big city to a salaryman out on the town.

Henshin is a Japanese-format graphic novel, which reads right-to-left. It will be in comic book stores on January 14 and in bookstores on January 27. It is available for pre-order now.