Comic powerhouse Kosmik has presented a new series

HeartXBreak in collaboration with JKT48 management in its new venture into musicthemed series.

“Kosmik has explored many themes, but nothing yet on music,” said Kosmik CEO Sunny Gho. “This new series is expected to work both ways in introducing the idol group to the wider public and avid comic readers while netting core fans to read our comics.”

The idea came from Dentsu Aegis Network Indonesia, the agency managing JKT48’s Operation Team, which picked Kosmik as a collaborator.

“JKT48 is developing its potential in the comic sphere,” said Elfi Syahmiar, a representative from the agency, at the comic launch at JKT48 Theatre in fX mall, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 27.

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The first edition of HeartXBreak follows Yuvia, a mutant with super powers who is selected to become an Intensified Dealers with Outlandish Linkage (IDOL). She arrives at Mandala Union, the IDOL headquarters where the superhumans are trained to join forces to rescue the world from evil attacks.

In the headquarters Yuvia acquainted other IDOL members Valkyrie, Matron and Storm Chaser (later is known as Tempest) and another 28 superhumans in the next editions.

Comic writer ER and artistic team Tim Kroma worked on each characters based on the 32 members of JKT48, a sister group of Japan’s AKB48.

The character of Yuvia is based on Cindy Yuvia, the youngest of the first four introduced — in real life as well. As a rookie, Yuvia has yet to show any significant power.

JKT48’s Melody is Matron who has the ability to conjure a protection shield, Veranda is a Tempest who can manipulate storms, while Ratu Vienny is Valkyrie who always come up with ideas and innovations.

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“The comic team talks to us to get into our characters and they did some background checks to describe us best in the story. My character, for example, wears super glasses, because according to the fans, I have the habit of locking eyes [keeps a steady gaze on the fans] while on stage. This habit is transformed into my superpower in the comic,” said Vienny.

Sunny said the digital version of HeartXBreak would be released monthly, which started Jan. 27, while the print edition every two months.

“We have prepared 12 chapters for the series, each consists of 24 pages. By far, it would be the longest series of a musicthemed comic in Indonesia,” he said.

As comic producer with lots of creative ideas, Kosmik also recently released Peri Bahasa — a creation of comic artist Fachreza Octavio and the LSS artistic team. The fantasy comic is neither a comedy nor a thrilling action as it explores pantun or the rhyming pantoum. Pantoum is a poetry form that is based on a repeating pattern rooted in Malayan culture, but is more widely known as being French. Peri bahasa literally means “the language fairy,” but peribahasa can also be translated as “proverb” or “courteous language.”

According to Fachreza, the creator of Panji and Cermin Putih comics, the idea came from late night chat with some friends about using pantoum as a fighting tool.

“I think it would encourage readers to learn more about the Indonesian language in a fun way,” he said in a statement. “The universe in this comic is constructed by language, as well as the elements of it. The narration revolves around a group of people who manipulate language to control the world.”

The first chapter of Peri Bahasa is released as an insert in Kosmik’s Second Orbit Issue 01, available in book stores since Jan. 25.

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