Barb Kaalberg’s Girl-Centric Coming-Of-Age Super-Hero Tale Pops With Jeff Johnson Cover!
Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Silverline’s original launch, the Florida-based indie company is kicking off its first ongoing full-color series in May. Created, written, and inked by industry veteran Barb Kaalberg and penciled by newcomer Alex Sarabia, the comic centers around 11-year-old Divinity Gray.
“She has healing powers that she’s tried to keep secret, but they weren’t enough to save her parents,” Kaalberg said. “Now she’s on the run from a mysterious agency that wants her for nefarious purposes and the only person she can turn to is her older brother and a cross-country network of his old Army buddies.”
Part road-movie, and super-hero coming-of-age story, there are wisps of X-Men, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Reacher in Kaalberg’s first creator-owned series.
“I was really drawn to Barb’s pitch,” Silverline Publisher and Editor-In-Chief Roland Mann said. “Telling the story from an 11-year-old girl’s perspective was a strong choice. She has these powers, and a strong desire to be a good person and help, but every time she uses them, she risks exposure.”
“Divinity’s story means a lot to me,” Kaalberg said. “When Divinity’s parents are killed, she has to create a new family core while coping with both grief and her powers which can be both blessing and curse.”
Current plans are to create an ongoing series divided into 4-issue arcs. The first arc sets Divinity and her brother on the road, pursued by the corporation, and discovering friends along the way before an epic finale.
“I’ve been working in the comics industry for years as an inker for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image and Malibu’s Ultraverse,” Kaalberg said. “I’ve always wanted to create my own comic and tell my own story. I’ve filled notebooks with Divinity plots, dialogue and scenes over the years. I’m so happy to get this out in comic book form.”
In addition to her role as the CFO of Silverline, Kaalberg is also the host of Silverline’s “Wednesday Wham” podcast on the Madness Comics Network. She makes frequent convention appearances.
Divinity #1 (of 4) will ship from Silverline Comics in May 2025. The first issue will feature a cover by Jeff Johnson, an artist that Kaalberg has inked numerous times over the years.
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