Kisa

By Charity Stashwick

Supernatural action/adventure

12-18 Middle/Upper YA

Kisa is a YA graphic novel about a fourteen year old girl on a fight to save her family. Borrowing from the tradition of Japanese stories told through the lens of South American folklore, we follow Lisa as she hunts the creature that poisoned her brother. Gifted with powers and the help of her friends, Kisa vanquishes a trail of demons. Will she be able to find the creature and a cure before her brother succumbs to its darkness? Despite all of her powers and her will to save him, what if he doesn’t want to save himself? There are many names in the world for people like Kisa and what she can do. A shaman, an exorcist, a witch, a priestess, a saint. None of them matter….she knows who she is. She is Kisa de Leon and she travels the world helping the helpless and fighting evil.

The Story:

Kisa’s life changes when she confronts an ancient demon. Teotihuacan, Teo; the spider woman. A goddess of the underworld that prey’s on weakened souls. Teo came for Kisa’s brother to spread its poison of darkness and depression, just as it had done to Kisa’s grandfather. But she would not to let that happen again. Kisa saves her brother, almost. A speck of poison touched him and in time will kill him. As for Kisa, her blood mingled with the demons and it changed her. Teo and her are now linked and Kisa can see through the veil that separates us from the other world. She has powers to fight the things that come for us. Kisa races against the clock in search of Teo for a cure, chasing a trail of demons to get to her spider.

We follow Kisa from the poverty soaked streets of Guatamala, to the dense jungles of the Amazon fighting creatures of South American folklore. Yacumama; an ancient sea monster. Hueke Hueke: a creature who’s mouth protrudes from it’s mid-section that sucks blood from it’s victims. La Madremonte; a banshee that protects the mountain roads. With the help of her powers and the new friends she meets on the way, Kisa vanquishes them one by one, but will it be in time to save her brother?

A refugee tale of magic and demons, love and family. Kisa struggles against forces that prey on the weak, sick and poverty stricken. She fights for those in need, never flinching in the face despair. In our world of record economic disparity and population displacement, Kisa is the perfect story of hope and survival.

The Characters:

Kisa De Leon, 14, Guatemalan, bright and fierce. She is the hero of our story. Kisa fears little, fighting for the lost, weak and helpless. Her self reliance is her strength and weakness. She takes on a lot for a young girl, determined to vanquish evil wherever she finds it.

Abuela, 82, Kisa’s grandmother. She was born and will die in a small village, but she has seen and heard a thing or two. Abuela tells Kisa folklore stories. She takes these stories very seriously believing that they are preparation and warning for the outside world.

Andres De Leon, 17, Kisa’s brother. Bright and handsome, he is teetering on the edge of a dark path. Unemployed and depressed, Andres starts rebelling. He used to be happy but is now angry and frustrated. He’s giving up on life but Kisa will not give up on him.

Tata, 50’s, a kindly female shaman. Kisa meets Tata along the lake channels of El Rio Polochic. Tata saves Kisa after she has a particularly nasty encounter with Yacumama, the ancient sea monster of the lake. She heals Kisa and helps her understand the dark forces of Teo that now run through Kisa’s veins.

Luka,10, a boy Kisa meets on the streets of Guatemala. Luka has a special gift. He can heal but only at great cost to himself. Each time he uses his powers, he drains his own life a bit. Luka befriends Kisa teaching her that sacrifice always comes with a cost. Luka is a Jesus like figure in a young boy’s form.

Jose, 30’s, a young evangelist from the town of Almolonga. Jose offers kindness and shelter to Kisa. He helps buoy her soul when she is feeling the bottom of the pit. Facing demons day in and day out can take it’s toll.