Oni Press and Magnetic Press are bringing readers into a volatile, neon-lit future with Urbance, a sci-fi graphic novel series from internationally acclaimed creator Joël Dos Reis Viegas. Ahead of its upcoming Kickstarter launch, AIPT can exclusively share details on the ambitious project that blends high-style cyberpunk with a deeply personal story about division, identity, and resistance.
Set in the sprawling metropolis of Neopolis, Urbance imagines a society on the brink. Every human is born with a virus that makes physical intimacy between sexes instantly fatal. In response, the city enforces strict segregation, raising boys and girls apart and shaping entire cultures around fear and separation. Towering walls divide the population, while youth factions form distinct identities through fashion, language, and territory, often clashing in explosive street conflicts.
That fragile order begins to fracture with the emergence of N-Dorphin, an underground drug rumored to bypass the virus. As it spreads through Neopolis, it fuels paranoia and power struggles between rival groups, each eager to control its potential. At the center of it all are Kenzell and Lesya, two teens from opposite sides of the divide who risk everything to connect. Their alliance pulls them into a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the streets, one that could upend the foundations of their world.
“URBANCE is a bio-punk Romeo & Juliet in the neon-lit style of Aeon Flux in a Jet Set Radio future city,” said Magnetic Press Director of Publishing Mike Kennedy. “A kinetic fusion of urban cyberpunk, gender-charged tension, and high-style action, it’s a story about rebellion, identity, and the dangerous power of connection in a world designed to keep the population divided.”
The project has been years in the making. Originally conceived as an animated concept at Steambot Studios, Urbance gained attention through a successful Kickstarter campaign that led to an animated pilot produced in collaboration with Yapiko Animation in Tokyo. That short film introduced audiences to its striking visual identity and core ideas, but the graphic novel series expands the scope in a major way, diving deeper into the political tensions, the evolving youth cultures, and the mystery behind both the virus and N-Dorphin.
“While the animated pilot only scratches the surface of what rules Neopolis, the graphic novel series dives much deeper into the dark side of the society and human tensions,” said creator Joël Dos Reis Viegas. “Keeping the core elements — the virus, N-Dorphin, the protagonists, and Coevo — and reimagining a story about two youngsters, shaped by division, who are forced to come together against adversity. So I chose a more aggressive and dark visual treatment to better match the story’s more mature tone. URBANCE is a reflection of my passions, my art style, and my fears.”
The Urbance Kickstarter campaign will offer fans a chance to support the next phase of the project and explore the world of Neopolis in full. Readers can sign up now to be notified when the campaign goes live.
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