IAF Executive Board member Elizabeth Genco has just announced an exciting new project: an original graphic novel to be published at Tor.com.

The Kiss, a collaboration between Genco and artist John Bivens, will be published through the site’s new online comics initiative, which is itself a collaboration between Tor Books and its fellow Macmillan imprint First Second Books. In an article announcing Tor.com’s foray into comics, Publisher’s Weekly describes The Kiss as “a comic strip about the Greek gods with a teen focus”.

On her blog at elizabethgenco.com, Elizabeth offers up the following snippet from the book’s proposal:

“What would happen if Aphrodite came back to earth as a teenager?” That’s the question that sparked THE KISS.

Aphrodite being one of the most complex of the Greek gods, there are an infinite number of clichéd teen sex comedies that could conceivably answer that question. But rather than sexpot or bitchy despot, THE KISS highlights a quality of Aphrodite that few know or understand: that of catalyst and carrier of creative vision. The story of THE KISS is that of a young artist who must transform herself to survive. She calls Aphrodite into being through her creativity and passion, neither of which she is aware of. By way of one of the most formative relationships in human experience – a friendship between teenage girls – Aphrodite facilitates Mary’s transformation.

THE KISS is a coming-of-age tale of sensuality, darkness and healing.

For more on Elizabeth’s mythology-inspired comics work, check out her August 2008 interview with ComicMix.com, which discusses her previous graphic novel Blue (inspired by the legend of Bluebeard) and her contribution to the Tori Amos comics anthology Comic Book Tattoo. Elizabeth will also be appearing this weekend at the New York Comic-Con, where she will be signing copies of Comic Book Tattoo at the Image booth on Friday from 2-3pm, Saturday from 4-5pm and on Sunday from 11-12am. Swing by and say hello!