Dark Agents, Book One: Violet and the Trial of Trauma

Description

This spellbinding graphic novel follows the adventures of Violet--a young witch whose mother was murdered when she was a child. As she wages war against necromancers and demons, Violet learns to overcome her internal monsters as well. In this groundbreaking comic book for teens and young adults, we meet Violet--a witch whose mother was burned alive for witchcraft when she was only six years old. Violet nearly suffers the same fate, but is rescued by her grandfather before she burns to death. Running from country to country, as well as from herself, Violet never gets a chance to fully process her traumatic experience. When she turns 19, Violet begins training at the Underworld Intelligence Agency (UIA) in hopes of becoming a Dark Agent--someone tasked with keeping the balance between the world of the living and the world of the undead. During her training, Violet hopes to finally overcome her fear of death and take control of her emotions, but instead she finds that mindfulness, vulnerability, and acceptance are the skills most necessary to help her succeed. Blended seamlessly throughout the story are elements of a powerful and evidence-based treatment called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Whether or not you've experienced a traumatic event like Violet, you'll find valuable skills you can apply to your own life to help you conquer your demons and hone your unique superpowers.

Dr. Janina Scarlet is a licensed clinical psychologist, an award-winning author, and a full-time geek. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family, and later, inspired by the X-Men, developed Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Dr. Scarlet is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association for her work on Superhero Therapy. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, the BBC, NPR, the Sunday Times, CNN, CW, ABC, The New York Times, Forbes, and many other outlets. She regularly consults on books and television shows, including HBO's The Young Justice. She was also portrayed as a comic book character in Gail Simone's Seven Days graphic novel. Dr. Scarlet is the Lead Trauma Specialist at the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management and with the Pop Culture Hero Coalition.

"A young witch trains to become an agent of the Underworld Intelligence Agency....Violet and her fellow recruits learn how to use their powers, engage in the art of combat, and, most importantly, understand their emotions. Scarlet draws from her experience as a psychologist to offer this self-help graphic fantasy that blends Greek mythology and education with a strong focus on the principles of mindfulness. Violet's PTSD and the other recruits' mental health struggles are addressed head-on and compassionately explored as the most meaningful lessons in their training....While the focus is on the psychological background of the characters, the worldbuilding is fun, fast-paced, and engaging. Violet is white, and there is diversity in the rest of the cast. Thoughtful, fun, and educative." --Kirkus Reviews--Kirkus Reviews "Dark Agents is a classic tale with a contemporary edge. Through this work, Scarlet has given the world a gift by which to better identify, understand, and overcome our own monsters." --Christine Boylan, television writer and producer of The Punisher, Once Upon a Time, and Cloak & Dagger; and cofounder of Bespoke Plays--Christine Boylan "In Dark Agents, through Janina Scarlet's skills and expertise in helping her patients cope with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), she has managed to craft a fun, adventurous, and compassionate story that is not only engaging, but quite educational, too." --Deric A. Hughes, writer and co-executive producer for Arrow, Scream: Resurrection, and The Flash--Deric A. Hughes "It's a rare gift to have a great fantasy story that teaches valuable real-world lessons about coping with trauma. Dark Agents gives you all of that and more." --Greg Weisman, creator of Gargoyles, and writer and producer of Young Justice--Greg Weisman "Janina Scarlet entertains, educates, and enlightens with Dark Agents! Fun and fast-paced, this graphic novel will start a lot of important conversations! Brava!" --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Black Panther: Doomwar and V-WARS--Jonathan Maberry "Maybe you feel broken by the things that have happened. But what if you knew that every single one of us, everyone, has a superpower. And, what if your superpower is there to be discovered in the midst of your deepest fears. Read Dark Agents and let the discovery begin." --Kelly G. Wilson, PhD, author of Mindfulness for Two, and coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy--Kelly G. Wilson, PhD "Not since Yoda trained Luke has a story so accurately addressed the importance of a hero training not just their body, but their mind. Scarlet weaves real therapeutic practices seamlessly into her narrative so the reader can grow right alongside Violet and her friends." --Lora Innes, author and artist whose works include The Dreamer and Wynonna Earp--Lora Innes