The Girl Who Draws on Whales

Written and drawn by Ariela Kristantina
Color by Sarah Stern
Letters by Bernardo Brice
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The Highly Anticipated Original Graphic Novel, The Girl Who Draws on Whales, Written and Illustrated by Ariela Kristantina, the Eisner Award-Nominated Artist of Adora and the Distance, Arrives Digitally from Comixology Originals September 23, 2025

The highly anticipated original graphic novel, The Girl Who Draws on Whales, written and illustrated by Ariela Kristantina, the artist of the Eisner award-nominated original graphic novel Adora and the Distance written by Marc Bernardin, arrives digitally on September 23, 2025, from Comixology Originals, Amazon’s exclusive digital content line and in print from Dark Horse Books on March 31, 2026.

In The Girl Who Draws on Whales, Kristantina takes readers on a powerful and atmospheric journey through a lush island environment inspired by her homeland of Indonesia. With soft and inspiring colors by Sarah Stern, letters by Bernardo Brice, and edits by Will Dennis, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a captivating and visually stunning story of exploration and discovery. This epic YA adventure marks the first-ever graphic novel that Kristantina has both written and illustrated.

Blending Southeast Asian folklore with themes of colonization and the unshakable power of art and storytelling, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a coming-of-age story about resistance, siblinghood, and believing in your voice—even when no one else does.

Siblings Wangi and her younger brother Banyu live in a sea-village in a post-apocalyptic world, centuries after The Great Flood changed the face of the world. Wangi shares a mysterious bond with the whales that visit their waters and they allow her to draw on their backs. One day a whale arrives alone, wounded and adorned with strange new markings that seem to carry messages from other lost settlements. Wangi believes it’s a call for help. No one listens—except Banyu.

Motivated by this mystery, Wangi vows to investigate. Although forbidden by their parents and the village elders, Wangi and Banyu embark on a wondrous sea journey into the unknown, only to stumble into a much larger fight: one that pits ancient sea magic against a volcanic empire fueled by war, greed, and conquest. Together, they must fight to save their home in The New World.

The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a testimony to the power of stories—their uncanny ability to entertain, educate and, ultimately, unite us.