The Divine is a new graphic novel published by First Second created by illustrators Asaf Hanuka (The Realist), Tomer Hanuka (Placebo Man), and writer Boaz Lavie. Asaf and Boaz reside in Tel Aviv, Israel while Tomer lives in New York City. On a hectic Thursday afternoon, I was fortunate to talk to Boaz and Asaf about their new book - unfortunately Tomer was unavailable.
These days, rarely do I look at an illustrator’s portfolio and outright gasp. It’s not that I’m necessarily jaded– I recognize and appreciate all the great art that comics illustrators put out every week. However, it takes a lot more than it used to to truly astound me.
Tomer Hanuka’s portfolio astounds me.
On July 17th, San Francisco’s White Walls Gallery will pay tribute to Tomer by presenting ‘The Art of The Divine,’ an exhibition centered around Hanuka’s new graphic novel collaboration with writer Boaz Lavie and his twin brother and fellow illustrator Asaf Hanuka. The comic will be released by First Second on July 14th and will explore themes of religion and war using a low fantasy premise. The story focuses on Mark, a military veteran who’s pulled back into the fray when his former comrade Jason comes knocking. They end up in Quanlom, an obscure South-East Asian country that is being ripped apart by a civil war led by ten year old twins with magic powers and an army of soldiers dressed like gods.
The exhibition will feature over 30 pieces, including layouts, pencils, concept art, and finalized pages. Chris Jalufka of Evil Tender will curate the exhibit and hopes that it will elucidate the comic book production process to attendees.
Tomer Hanuka’s use of color is outstanding. His use of understated pastels mixed with highly saturated colors for emphasis adds an incredibly effecting element to his impressively detailed linework. His work on The Divine elevates our sense of reality without fully removing us from it, seamlessly mixing the quotidian with the fantastic to create a stark contrast between the world we know and the one that is just beyond our field of vision.
Twin brothers Asaf and Tomer Hanuka have been making vividly arresting comics for quite a while. Together they produced the award-nominated Bipolar. Separately, Tomer is known his covers for Vertigo and illustration for The New Yorker, the NY Times and many other places. Asaf illustrated Pizzeria Kamikaze, written by Etger Keret (and the basis of the film Wristcutters) and the ongoing webcomic The Realist.
And they have a new graphic novel coming out from First Second next July: The Divine, written by Israeli writer/filmmaker Boaz Lavie (“The Lake”). It’s a story dragged from today’s headlines. Former military man Mike is leading a boring civilian existence when his army buddy Jason invites him to take on what seems like easy money: a covert but lucrative contract job in an obscure South-Asian country called Quanlom, which is being torn apart by civil war.
What seems like a simple job turns into a nightmare, as Quanlom’s civil war turns out to be led by 1o-year-old twins with seemingly supernatural powers. Throw in an army of godlike soldiers and a dragon and you have one weird war tale. According to the blurb, it’s ” a fast-paced, brutal, and breathlessly beautiful portrait of a world where ancient powers vie with modern warfare and nobody escapes unscathed.”
I’m a long time fan of the Hanukas striking imagery and morbid imaginations. This sound like a perfect outlet for their vision.
The Divine was a great read. The art alone was breathtaking. I loved their use of simple color patterns.