Redd Strings.
A contemporary superhero epic with notes of dark humor, science fiction, and people whose blood can change the state of matter.
A multi-verse of intertwining supernatural science fiction stories of the darkly humorous kind, Redd Strings follows a diverse cast of superpowered characters across several decades and dimensions.
Superpowers, romance, irreverent comedy, social division, dark pasts, criminal underworlds, drug addictions, mental health crises, gods and demons, aliens and lore– there are very few bases that this series doesn’t cover.
From Ryō– the boy who has the power to respawn after he dies, to Emery– the girl whose blood can change the state of matter, to Jeff– the severely overpowered young man whose powers change depending on the music he is listening to— there is a Redd Strings character for everyone.
With the first graphic novel in the series currently in production, Redd Strings is projected to run between seven-to-ten volumes. As of 2024, the first two book manuscripts have been written and you can read the synopses of these installments below.
Meet the Characters
Characters designed by Aiden J Arts.
Redd Strings the Prequel
Parts One and Two:
1. The Wolves Who Cried Boy
2. The Hero of a Thousand Deaths
Parts One & Two of the Redd Strings series follow 17-year-old Ryō.
Ryō lives with a slew of government agents and other orphaned children at the Carlisle School– a remote boarding school run by a black wing government agency known as the Columbus Genome Project (CGP).
Like most of the other Carlisle School students, Ryō was told he was discovered as an orphan by CGP agents who were searching the world for children born with a very special, very rare genome called the Columbus Genome. This genome is the reason the CGP was formed in the first place– the presence of the Columbus Genome in the DNA was proven to be associated with the presence of superhuman abilities in the early 1950’s, with the initial goal of the CGP being to breed loyal supersoldiers.
The curveball here, however, is that Ryō is the first ever Carlisle School student with gene expression to not bear powers by the age of 18. His misfortune and impotency naturally bring about an ample supply of bullying from his other students– particularly their class president and painfully archetypical jock, Lou.
With the entirety of their class graduating except for Ryō, his whole world seems to be caving in. And then, it does–
Ryō learns he is set to be released from the school on the same day that he gets a letter from the love of his life, Emery, saying she wants to escape with him. Dreaming of being a superhero from the time he bore consciousness, this is devastating news to the boy. On top of that, Emery happens to be the most powerful, heavily surveilled, and oppressed of all the students, making escape a futile ideology.
While trying to come up with a way to let his crush down, and panicking about having to start a new life in the outside world, Ryō comes in contact with a legend within the CGP community: Jeff, the highest ranked graduate of the Carlisle School.
The mysterious Jeff stages an interview with Ryō, where the young man informs the boy that the term “released” is a euphemism for euthanization. This leaves Ryō with little choice– he decides to help Emery escape.
Things don’t go according to plan, however…
Given Emery’s blood could melt through steel and change the state of matter entirely, when Ryō accidentally breaks her tooth and gets blood in his eye while trying to remove her security mouthguard, the girl’s blood melts through to his brain– killing him.
For most people, the story would end here, but this isn’t most stories. Ryō’s soul travels through space and time to land in the middle of his interview with Jeff– several hours before he is supposed to die.
With a new lease on life and a fresh sense of purpose, Ryō sets out with one priority in mind: escape the Carlisle School with Emery and never come back. Despite this burning conviction, things are a lot easier said than done. Especially when he is being closely monitored by his bubbly best friend and CGP lobby attendant, Lara.
If you are interested in learning what becomes of Ryō and Emery, I encourage you to read Redd Strings Part One & Two: (i) The Wolves Who Cried Boy (ii) The Hero of a Thousand Deaths.