Tenea #1 – Heart (Review)
Writer: Ivan Buhancov Artist: Misagi Independent, August 2026 With no backdrop of the established continuity seen with major American and Japanese publishers, great indie comics hinge on their worldbuilding. Tenea #1: Heart borrows from an established world outside of comic books, in a way which feels both epic and deeply personal. Written by Ivan Buhancov with art by Misagi, the comic calls upon the myths and legends of the indigenous peoples of North America and uses that foundation to tell an engaging coming-of-age yarn. The title seems to indicate that the book appears to be centered on its young heroine, Tenea (although the dialogue balloons spell her name as Tenya.) She is a spirited girl of the Horned Gophers tribe who wants desperately to help protect her people from the terrifying creature known as Giwakwa. Yet the real emotional center of the story is her father, Keruk, the tribe’s chief.
