In this German tale, Lorelai is a river nymph, born to the Rhine River, living in the shadow of a prosperous town called Wochara. But at the heart of Wochara’s prosperity lies a secret deal that Lorelei and the people of Wochara struck a long time ago. Every year, Wochara sends Lorelei a young man who becomes her husband for the year, living in comfort and luxury in her wondrous palace, while fat nuggets of gold wash up on the town shores. But not everything is as it seems and when she selects a young man who already has a lover, the deal between the people of Wochara and Lorelai is in jeopardy forever.

The critically acclaimed Jim Henson’s The Storyteller celebrates four mythic tales of sirens, inspired by folklore from around the world and told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved television series. In this first issue, Polish writer Sztybor Bartosz teams with artist Jakub Rebelka (Judas) to reimagine the classic Polish folktale “The Fisherman and the Mermaid”. The fisherman is not happy with his life. He works all the time, struggling to make ends meet rather than spending time with his wife and their daughter. One day, while fishing, he hears a mermaid singing and the song overwhelms him with joy. He can’t stop thinking about this song so he captures the mermaid and imprisons her.

This tale explores the Chinese mythology of Nuwa. Long ago before mankind, Nuwa traveled through vast fields and mountains of the earth in awe of its beauty. The planet was beautiful, but lonely and she decided to fill the earth with human beings. But while life filled the Earth and Nuwa’s heart, creation was only the beginning of the story.

Sarah Webb brings to life a Scottish Orkney Island tale. When Willa Westness and her two siblings get caught in a dangerous high tide, they are at the mercy of the selkies. All seems lost—but there might be something hidden in Willa’s past that can save her.