Sina Grace & Michael Stock & Hope Larson Reimagine Pandora Myth As All-Ages Fantasy Series ‘Penny Dora & The Wishing Box’

When I was reading Burn the Orphanage, the one thought that kept running through my head was "Hey, this violent tribute to games like Streets of Rage is great and all, but what I'd really like to see is an all-ages fantasy story about a young girl and a magic box that grants wishes drawn by the same person!"

Okay, no, that's actually a lie -- but the only reason I didn't think that is because I didn't know how bad I wanted it until I saw that exact thing. Written by Michael Stock and drawn by Burn the Orphanage artist Sina Grace, Penny Dora and the Wishing Box is a modern re-telling of the Pandora myth inspired by a story written by Stock's eight year-old daughter, Nico.

"The first issue is basically an expansion of her original story," Stock said in an Image press release. "Since then the story has grown through talks we had in the car on the way to school in the mornings via a playful papa/daughter back and forth game of 'what if.' The cat in the book, Iggy, is based on our cat (also named Iggy, and also a great lover of ham).”

Featuring cover art and lettering by Eisner-winning cartoonist Hope Larson (A Wrinkle in Time, Who is AC?), Penny Dora and the Wishing Box launches in November with a special 28-page first issue.

Penny Dora is available to pre-order now, and will be launching in November with an extra-sized 28-page first issue for $2.99. The official description is as follows:

"One day, a young girl named Penny Dora discovers a mysterious box on her front doorstep. It is a magic box with the power to grant wishes...but what she’s about to unwrap is the darker and creepier meaning behind the old adage, 'be careful what you wish for.'"