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The Awakened

by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci & Dean Kotz

THE AWAKENED is a dark, noir-ish superhero murder mystery that explores what the true definition of power is, and who should wield it. Welcome to a world very much like our own, populated by a small handful of super-beings. The series focuses on a government-sanctioned team of super-heroes, The Freedom Alliance, and their beloved leader Paragon. Though everything seems to be just fine from the outside, the man behind Paragon's mask realizes there are dark forces moving against him, his team, and the world itself. What does it have to do with the disappearance of the insanely-powerful being known as Avatar? When a hero falls, the world is left shaken - and one regular person must make the riskiest decision of their lives to protect the people they care about.

A character-driven superhero epic in the vein of The Golden Age, Supreme Power, Black Hammer, and Astro City, it is collected here in TPB format for the first time!

$4,754

supported of $4,000

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Digital copy

128 pages, PDF format

$25

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Softcover

Get the entire 128-page story in standard-size TPB format

$45

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Softcover SIGNED

Get the entire 128-page story in standard-size TPB format signed by the entire creative team!

$65

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Softcover REMARQUED

Get the entire 128-page story in standard-size TPB format signed by the entire creative team and wit...

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Mega Bundle

Be the ultimate supporter and get the SOFTCOVER plus a limited edition 7x10 ART PRINT and 3x3 die-cu...

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Retailer Bundle - ALL COPIES SIGNED

For retailers only - 5 copies of the softcover at wholesale pricing for the standard paperback , all...

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Tip Jar

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ADD-ONS

These items are only available once you have selected at least one primary Item listed above.

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Original Art Page

Want to own a piece of the Awakened book? When you choose this add-on, you are buying the original 1...

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Dark Space SIGNED

2024's sci-fi/espionage novel, co-written with Rob Hart. Signed by author Alex Segura and from his p...

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Dick Tracy #1 main cover SIGNED

Signed by Alex Segura and from his personal stash!

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Blood Oath collection SIGNED

Signed by Alex Segura and from his personal stash!

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Spider-Man: Stories From the Spider-Verse SIGNED

Signed by Alex Segura and from his personal stash!

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Complete set of Rick and Morty: Youth in Rickvolt SIGNED

All copies signed by Michael Moreci and from his personal stash!

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Complete set of Rick and Morty: Heart of Rickness SIGNED

All copies signed by Michael Moreci and from his personal stash!

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Complete set of John Carpenter's Toxic Commando SIGNED

All copies signed by Michael Moreci and from his personal stash!

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Black Star Renegades/We Are Mayhem SIGNED

Get a Black Star Renegades/We Are Mayhem paperback bundle signed by author Michael Moreci. Only 2 a...

#The Story

THE AWAKENED is a dark, noir-ish superhero murder mystery that explores what the true definition of power is, and who should wield it. Welcome to a world very much like our own, populated by a small handful of super-beings. The series focuses on a government-sanctioned team of super-heroes, The Freedom Alliance, and their beloved leader Paragon. Though everything seems to be just fine from the outside, the man behind Paragon's mask realizes there are dark forces moving against him, his team, and the world itself. What does it have to do with the disappearance of the insanely-powerful being known as Avatar? When a hero falls, the world is left shaken - and one regular person must make the riskiest decision of their lives to protect the people they care about.

With this campaign, for the first time ever, this epic series will not only be available in print, but will actually be completed. Supporters will be the first to see the final issues of this long awaited conclusion to what was once a digital only series (previously available through Zestworld)!

"This isn't just a story about a government super team's adventures. That's certainly the backdrop, and I think readers will take some comfort in the familiar there. But at its heart, The Awakened is about the quest for power -- and whether having power makes you a hero. High concept-wise, it's a murder mystery in the world of super-heroes, where readers can see somewhat familiar archetypes tweaked and changed to fit the story and stand on their own. But the heart of the story -- through the maze of a murder mystery -- is about how different people react when granted the gift of power, even if they're all labeled "heroes." - Alex Segura

Credits:

Alex Segura (co-writer/co-creator)

Michael Moreci (co-writer/co-creator)

Dean Kotz (artist/co-creator)

Jason Wordie (colorist)

Jim Campbell (letterer)

Chantelle Aimée Osman (creative consultant)

Brian Cunningham (editor)

.

#Preview

Who's Who-style pages to be included in the back of this TPB:

#Bios

Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller and a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He’s also the author of the Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and the YA Spider-Verse adventure, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow. In 2024, he published a sci-fi/espionage novel, Dark Space, co-written with Rob Hart; the graphic novel The Legendary Lynx, illustrated by Sandy Jarrell; Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños; and Alter Ego, a standalone sequel to Secret Identity. In addition to his prose writing he has written a number of comics for Marvel and DC, including Star Wars: Battle of Jakku, Spider-Society, and The Question: All Along the Watchtower. With Michael Moreci he is the writer behind the noir re-launch of Dick Tracy. He lives in New York City with his family.

Michael Moreci is a screenwriter and bestselling comics author. His award-winning debut feature film, Revealer, premiered on Shudder in the summer of 2022. His second feature, Holiday Hold-Up, a crime comedy that Moreci co-directed/wrote, was released in 2024. In the comics space, Moreci is the creator of the acclaimed gothic horror series The Plot, the werewolf drama Curse, the existential space opera Wasted Space, and the smash-hit sword-and-sorcery series Barbaric,. He’s also written for numerous legendary characters and properties, including Star Wars, Rick and Morty, Batman, Stranger Things, and more, and he co-hosts The Filmographers Podcast.

#Stretch Goals

To be revealed as we approach funding!

#Timeline

The book is complete, and when the campaign ends the files will be ready to go to print within 1 month..

Printing and shipping should take around three months from that point, so delivery of rewards is expected to be done around May 2025.

Zoop will always be here to communicate with supporters should any delays occur, if there’s confusion about delivery, or if any other concerns pop up.

Frequently asked questions

Yes! We encourage you to get more than 1 item! That could be multiple copies of the same reward, or you can mix and match rewards! There is no limit, unless otherwise stated in the reward description.

Our campaigns are for a worldwide audience unless stated otherwise in the campaign. All international orders are sold with the terms DAP (Delivered At Place). You are responsible for any duties and taxes required for the shipment's entry into your country. Our carriers may require you to pay taxes and fees related to importation and customs brokerage of your shipment -- but if your item is really low in value, it may fall under the customs de minimis of most countries. For more information, please contact USPS

Zoop does not store or keep your credit card info. Stripe simply holds the credit card info until the end of a successful campaign and then charges it. It is strictly for this one time use and won't charge it ever again.

You can either access the transaction through your account and click the cancel button, or contact us at hello@wearezoop.com and we'll cancel it for you and send back a confirmation email.

 

Cancellations of rewards or add-ons of $500 or more must be made before there are 72 hours left in the campaign. The reason for this is it can have a negative effect on the tally of the campaign. If it is a limited reward or add-on, there may not be sufficient time for someone else to purchase it, leaving the campaign possibly not funded. We ask for your courtesy of the people running the campaign when making these decisions.

Please use the notes section in the last checkout step or you could e-mail us at hello@wearezoop.com with that info during the campaign if you'd like to get it out of the way. Otherwise, we'll be reaching out to all supporters of rewards that require feedback shortly after the campaign is over.

If you want to make changes, you should first cancel your original order and then start over with a new one. If you don't do that and simply process an additional order, the way our system is currently set up you may end up being overcharged for shipping -- which we could remedy for you, but it just takes that extra step of catching it and crediting you back the extra shipping, so please try the prior way first.

Rewards are the priority items that the creators have chosen for the campaign. Add-Ons are meant to be secondary items that are 'unlocked' after you buy something from the Reward level. There are no restrictions on buying Rewards, but you can only buy Add-Ons if you've bought a Reward. Zoop sets this up under the direction of the creators. Some may choose to only have Rewards, some may choose an even balance of Rewards and Add-Ons, and others may choose to only have one or two Rewards with the rest of the items being Add-Ons.

Since we have an a la carte rewards system, shipping rates will vary from supporter to supporter. We use a weight-based calculation system in your checkout cart, though, so, after you enter your country, you'll be able to see it calculated in real time with each item you add.

No - this is it! We're essentially your in-campaign pledge manager. If you are interested in supporting these creators, this is the time to do it!  And it's the exact reason we allow you to purchase as many rewards as you want during the campaign!