What Is Magnificent?
Do you love hopeful coming of age stories like Smallville or Spider-Man?
Do you like knock-down, bare knuckle, superhero action?
Do you enjoy shadowy military conspiracies like the stories of Wolverine?
Then you’ll love Magnificent.
Magnificent is an original graphic novel about a Chicago superhero’s journey before and after a disaster that changes the world forever.
This 90-page, full color, hardcover graphic novel features a deluxe spot gloss cover and over 14 pages of bonus content.
What Is It About?
Before years of torture and captivity, naive teenager Adam Garfield was a superhero called “the Magnificent.” When Adam learns his true power, will he take his revenge or choose to be a hero one last time?
This coming-of-age superhero story is about staying true to yourself no matter what life throws at you.
Featuring:
- A deluxe hardcover with spot gloss on a matte finish
- 90 pages of superhero action set in downtown Chicago
- 14 pages of bonus content including articles, character bios, and a look behind-the-scenes
- 4 page stinger teasing the next chapter, Magnificent: Genesis
Meet The Characters
Adam Garfield, aka “The Magnificent”
When Adam first discovers his superpowers, he does what any nerdy teenager would do – straps on some boots and a cape, and takes off to save the world.
But as he’ll learn, superpowers can’t protect him from the lessons we all must learn – lessons about heartbreak, failure, and loss.
As a teenager, Adam thinks he can fly, that he’s super-strong, and that he’s invulnerable to harm. But years of torture and captivity will reveal his true power, one no superhero has ever had before…
“When we can no longer change our circumstances, we are challenged to change ourselves.” -Viktor Frankl
Maxwell Edison
With his electromagnetic powers, Maxwell could take anything he wanted, whenever he wanted it. And so, master of all he surveyed, Maxwell became bored. There was no challenge left in life, no fun. And Maxwell lived for fun.
So when he sees the Magnificent saving people on the news, he hops the next plane from his home in London to Chicago to do what all super-people do: fight.
He’s been looking forward to meeting the Magnificent because he’s finally found a challenge. He’s looking for a fight – and he’s going to find one.
“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” -Oscar Wilde
The General
Leader of the shadowy group of mercenaries known as Blackstone, the General seeks to harness the Magnificent’s power to create an army of super soldiers.
Even though he comes to see the Magnificent as a sort of son, this dark and twisted father figure believes he can make the young boy into a man in his own image.
But trying to break the boy who won’t be broken might just push this career military man to his limits.
“To those human beings who are of any concern to me I wish suffering, desolation, sickness, ill-treatment, indignities…I have no pity for them, because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not—that one endures.” ― .
Commander Alfio Bottari
The field commander for Blackstone, Commander Bottari is a tactical genius who has spent his life acquiring a deadly set of skills and training.
And that’s why he hates the Magnificent: all the power, none of the training. These superhumans didn’t earn their power, and so they can’t be trusted to wield it. The Magnificent doesn’t have the maturity to understand his incredible abilities, much less use them safely. It’s only a matter of time before innocent people get hurt. Many already have.
Bottari means to stop these superhumans, at any cost.
“What we acquire too cheaply, we esteem too lightly.” ―Thomas Payne
Meet The Creators
Carmelo Chimera (Author)
After Carmelo crash-landed on Earth, he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He co-founded Chimera’s Comics before graduating from the University of Chicago Law School. He’s been featured in news internationally including Time Magazine, ABC, NBC, WGN, SyFy Wire, Bleeding Cool, and more. Over the last two years, he’s raised over $100K on Kickstarter for projects like Magnificent.
He’s also the editor and contributing author on the upcoming scifi horror anthology Cellar Door, and author of the nonfiction books Your Kickstarter Is About To Fail (And What You Can Do About It) and The Great Comic Shop Giveaway.
When he’s not practicing law, running his business, or writing, Carmelo likes to make custom action figures and travel the world. It’s not clear if he ever sleeps. (Illustration by Gene Ha.)
Steven Brown (Penciller)
Steven Brown was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago and graduated from the American Academy of Art in 2008, where he studied Life Drawing. Steven works in video production and lives in Chicago. When he is not drawing comics, his views and opinions on a variety of topics are expressed on the podcast he co-hosts called Caffeinated Comics. (Photo by David Gall.)
Why You Can’t Miss Magnificent
Magnificent isn’t just the story of one hero. It’s the story of all of us, and of the comic industry as a whole. Growing up can be painful, as our hero learns. But in the end, will the cruelty of the world shape our destiny? Or can we decide to be heroes in spite of everything?
Featuring incredible superhero action set in downtown Chicago, with moments of heart and character that elevate the story to another level, Magnificent won’t just thrill and excite you – it will leave you thinking long after you finish reading.
Thanks so much for checking out Magnificent. I first wrote this story when I was a sophomore in college. Over the next 9 years, I never gave up on making this a reality because I always believed in the central message of this story.
In fact, the older I got, the more I believed it. That, in the immortal words of philosopher Victor Frankl, when we can no longer change our circumstances, we are challenged to change ourselves.
I think Magnificent will thrill you, excite you, and make you think. I hope you decide to give it a try.
Keep moving forward,
Carmelo Chimera
