(July 11, 2023) With more than 21 million reads and over 630,000 followers, COVENANT is one of the most popular comics on WEBTOON and the remarkable comics debut of LySandra Vuong, also known as Explodikid. The critically acclaimed, fan-favorite series follows a powerful exorcist with no faith in God, who is tasked to protect a seemingly normal human from rising demonic forces. The series features a slow-burn queer romance and explores religious faith, the weight of destiny, and what it means to be good in a world plagued by demons. The multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher Oni Press will publish the WEBTOON smash hit in print for the first time with the first of three volumes being released in April 2024, featuring an all-new, never-before-seen cover by Vuong.
“COVENANT combines classic shounen manga tropes with fantasy Catholicism to tell an action-packed story in which angels talk to us and demons walk among us,” said LySandra Vuong. “Covenant is an unconventional comic. It’s supernatural, a little blasphemous, a little sexy, and unapologetically queer.”
In a world where priests are decked out in holy tattoos and brandish machine guns in the face of demons, a powerful exorcist and a mysterious boy cross paths . . . in a college classroom. Erza’s faith is waning when God intervenes and sends him on a mission to protect Sunny, an outwardly normal human, from demonic forces. Looks can be deceiving, however, as Sunny proves to have hidden secrets and a bloody past nipping at his heels. Between Erza’s sunny sarcasm, and Sunny’s closed-off distant demeanor, the two struggle to find any common ground to bridge the gap. Yet, as much as the two bicker and retain distance, neither can help but be drawn to the other. With his church under scrutiny and the threat of war on the horizon, will Ezra find his conviction in time to keep Sunny safe? Will Sunny even accept his help? Or will they both suffer the consequences?
“A few years ago, in a time where many publishers still frowned upon manga-inspired art styles, I thought the only place for my story would be the wild west of webcomics, where all sorts of wacky and weird comics live,” said Vuong. “To see Covenant coming to print, to bookstores, to a physical format, with such an amazing publisher as Oni Press is beyond my wildest dreams.
“COVENANT takes the exorcist sub-genre that has made stories like Constantine so beloved into a refreshing and modern direction with action sequences that recall the flare of shounen manga like Blue Exorcist and the slow burn romance of a Kaori Yuki or CLAMP series,” said Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn. “We can’t wait to introduce a brand new audience to the powerful and unique storytelling of debut creator LySandra Vuong.”
Here’s what critics are saying about COVENANT:
“COVENANT should scratch an itch you maybe didn’t know you had—even if that itch is some hot monsters from hell.” —AV Club
“We dare anyone to start this series and not find themselves immediately pulled into the mystery and suspense.” —Geek Girl Authority
“Wildly enjoyable.”—Women Write About Comics
“Sometimes a new webcomic kinda just falls in your lap and you’re wondering how I did not know of this before?”—Multiversity Comics
The first volume of the three-volume supernatural action webcomic collects episodes 1–18 of the hit WEBTOON comic COVENANT beautifully reformatted into 6×9. COVENANT will be available in stores April 24, 2024.
For more updates on Oni Press, visit them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About LySandra Vuong
LySandra Vuong, also known as Explodikid, is a comic artist and writer based in Los Angeles. They left their previous job as a mechanical engineer to pursue a career in drawing hot anime characters. Covenant is their debut comic.
About Oni Press
The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group is a premier comic book and graphic novel publisher located in Portland, Oregon. Merged with Lion Forge Comics in 2019 but established in 1997, Oni Press publishes a thoughtfully curated line of award-winning original and licensed graphic novels and comic books for readers of all ages. Notable titles from the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group include: The Tea Dragon Society, Sheets, Gender Queer, A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, Scott Pilgrim, and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty™.
