Following the successful debut of the New Brooklyn universe in April with The Red Hook, LINE Webtoon - the popular digital comic publisher pioneering the development and distribution of comics worldwide - today launched the superhero universe’s second installment and introduced a new hero, The Purple Heart.
Created by Brooklyn writers and artists, New Brooklyn is the first comic universe to truly encapsulate the borough’s spirit with comics starring Brooklyn as their centerpiece. The Purple Heart, created by Vito Delsante, Ricardo Venâncio, and Dean Haspiel, tells the tale of US Navy soldier, Isaiah “Zeke” Nelson who has just returned from war overseas. He is done fighting and all 
he wants is to return home, but Brooklyn has other plans when her heart is broken and she secedes from America, selecting Zeke to become New Brooklyn's cosmic guardian, The Purple Heart.
"Bringing the New Brooklyn universe to life has been so much fun,” said co-creator Vito Delsante. “As a former long time resident of the “Borough of Kings,” I have loved the opportunity to reinvent one of my favorite places in the world and show it through the lens of a reluctant hero like The Purple Heart." He added, "I've worked with Dean in the past, and it's always a highlight for me, but after years of knowing each other and coming close to working on a comic, I finally get to work with Ricardo, who is a talent like no other."
New Brooklyn follows the adventures of a unique group of heroes who emerge in the fallout from Brooklyn’s decision to secede from New York State. Across each of these comics, Brooklyn is not just the setting, but also a poignant character with a broken heart whose decisions greatly impacts the destinies of its residents. Fed up with the way society has formed around her, Brooklyn quite literally pulls away from New York – its bridges breaking and tunnels flooding – and proposes that humanity return back to days of old where things and people were defined by their ethics, values and contributions; where skills and art could be bartered and traded; where land could be farmed to sustain life and spawn beauty.
"Even though I'm from an ocean away, I grew up reading about superheroes living, loving and fighting in New York City. It's been in my DNA as a reader and as a budding artist since I was 6.” Said co-creator and artist Ricardo Venâncio. To have the opportunity to work on a character and a universe that reflect those inspirations, but with a new and interesting approach like we're doing in the Purple Heart is a great treat. The Purple Heart 
is a love letter from us to those stories that shaped us, and I hope it shows on every panel of this series."
“The launch of New Brooklyn and The Red Hook has been a tremendous success and we are excited to continue the story with this next title in our first complete comic universe created for LINE Webtoon,” said JunKoo Kim, Founder and Head of LINE Webtoon.
The third installment of New Brooklyn, The Brooklynite, will follow a third hero who is also struggling to make peace with himself and reconcile his redefined home. Launching this Fall from the late Seth Kushner, Shamus Beyale, and Jason Goungor, The Brooklynite follows Brooklyn cartoonist Jake Jeffries, who gets caught in the fallout of two super-humans battling and is accidentally irradiated with superpowers. Fraught with “Superman powers and Spider-Man problems,” Jake learns to fight crime in his secret identity as The Brooklynite, and chronicles his adventures in a comic book series while struggling to lead a dual existence.
Fans can dive into The Purple Heart today and every Wednesday here. For more New Brooklyn, fans can also catch up on The Red Hook here. To download the official LINE Webtoon app, visit the Apple App Store and Google Play.