Aster of Pan | Merwan

The year is 2068. The place, Fontainebleau forest, ancient home of some of France’s mightiest monarchs on the outskirts of what was once Paris. The post-apocalyptic society of Pan survives by growing rice and scavenging among the ruins of a destroyed civilization. Their precarious existence comes under threat when the powerful, technologically advanced Federation of Fortuna forces them into a dangerous choice―submit to Fortuna’s rule, or try to best them in a barbaric, ritualized game known as Celestial Mechanics. Pan’s only hope? A hot-headed outcast they’d rejected for being “un-Pan”: a girl named Aster.

About the Author

The French creator Merwan is a graduate of the Ecole nationale des arts décoratifs. After passing through the prestigious Ecole des Gobelins, he first made his mark in the realm of video games and animation, working as a storyboarder. In 2002, he drew attention with his animated short film Biotope, which he wrote and directed. Supported by the CNC and Arte, he continued the experience with a second animated short film titled Clichés de soirée, selected for the Cartoon d'or prize in 2009. Later, Merwan's shift to the comics world took place with Fausse garde (Vents d'ouest, 2009) and L'Or et le sang (12bis, 2009), a saga involving creators Fabien Nury and Maurin Defrance. In 2010, in collaboration with Bastien Vivès, he began work on Pour l'empire (Dargaud; For the Empire, Europe Comics), an engrossing adventure trilogy. He then followed this up with Le bel âge (Dargaud; The Glory Days, Europe Comics) and Pistouvi (Dargaud; Magnetic Press 2020). His most recent work is the immersive sci-fi graphic novel Mécanique céleste (Dargaud; Aster of Pan, Magnetic Press 2021).