The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne

Written by Sonya Ballantyne

Illustrated by Rhael McGregor

Coloured by Azby Whitecalf

Lettering by Kielamel Sibal 

HighWater Press

978-1-77492-137-1

64 pp.

Ages 12–14

Releases March 10, 2026 

 

Sonya Ballantyne, a Swampy Cree filmmaker based in Winnipeg, did not just spring onto the scene with her first movie Crash Site or as a writer for The Walking Dead: Last Mile or Acting Good. Her origin story helped make her who she is. But what is that story?

From The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne, written by Sonya Ballantyne, illustrated by Rhael McGregor, coloured by Azby Whitecalf, lettered by Kielamel Sibal

As a child, Sonya Ballantyne had a lot of dreams of what she would be when she was older. She considered being Bret Hart or a marine biologist or a musician, but becoming a writer was a special dream. Problem was that Sonya knew that girls like her—Indigenous—didn't often finish high school or get to fulfill their dreams. And though she had incredible support from her parents and much family love, there were others who reminded her that her options were limited by being an Indigenous girl. Sonya was determined to find a way.

 

Sonya imagined herself as a superhero who'd arrived on Earth as an alien whom her parents found and protected, along with her grandparents. After all, the origin stories of all superheroes were clouded with tragedy, and they still went on to do good.

From The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne, written by Sonya Ballantyne, illustrated by Rhael McGregor, coloured by Azby Whitecalf, lettered by Kielamel Sibal

From her connection with her mother through a shared love of movies—"The trouble with seeing your life as a movie is that nothing can ever live up to your expectations" (pg. 33)—to her love of hockey, Sonya started to see her life in terms of what she could get, not what she wanted. Her journal writings speak of her questioning her sexuality, her anger, depression, and suicidal ideation. But she finds a way to make her anger her superpower, becoming an activist, finishing high school, going to university, and never limiting herself as others might. 

From The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne, written by Sonya Ballantyne, illustrated by Rhael McGregor, coloured by Azby Whitecalf, lettered by Kielamel Sibal

Sonya Ballantyne's story is laid out in The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne, though it is not presented as a linear one. I suspect that, as with the challenges of racism and bullying she faced, it wasn't straightforward. There were those who set her back time and time again and then circumstances that propelled her forward in her self-discovery. She works to explain her own origins and understand them as they might have been and how they were. It's obvious that there is still much story to be told of Sonya Ballantyne, but this is a good start, particularly for older middle grade and young teen readers who might better understand some of her challenges and the grittiness of a world in which bullying, racism, abuse, and crass language exist.

 

Because The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne is a graphic novel, the art gives much of the story, supporting it with visuals of Sonya's real life and that of her superhero alter ego. Rhael McGregor shows us both a child and then teen who enjoys the warmth of those who care for her but also has struggles against those who bully, anger, insult, or wrong her. And they give us very real depictions of Sonya from a young child to middle grader to teen so that she is recognizable and still changing as she grows up. But it is the context of that development, from Sonya imagining herself as a superhero rescued as a baby, to a child enjoying play—versus an overprotective grandmother—and a teen journalling her angst that Rhael McGregor makes us see Sonya through all her phases and faces. With the art coloured by Azby Whitecalf and lettered by Kielamel Sibal, these graphic elements enhance the storytelling of the life of Sonya Ballantyne, while making us want to know more.

Visions From the Fire (Dreams, Book 2)

Written by Wanda John-Kehewin

Illustrated by nicole marie burton

Colour by Rhael McGregor 

Lettering by Kielamel Sibal

HighWater Press (Portage & Main)

978-1-77492-065-7

80 pp.

Ages 12+

Releases February 24, 2026 

 

Visions From the Fire starts with a bang. Damon and his classmates are preparing to graduate from high school. And Damon, his mom, and his friend Journey are then heading out to his mom's reserve, which she hasn't visited for fifteen years, for a powwow. And Damon's classmate and bully, Marcus, who'd taunted the teen relentlessly about his Indigenous heritage, has recently learned this his own mother is Cree, part of the Sixties Scoop, though she shrugs it off as "not a big deal." (pg. 2) If that isn't enough happening in Damon's life, then there is the gifting of a bear claw necklace made by his mom that gives him visions of her abandonment on the reserve. He asks her but she doesn't want to talk about it.

What's there to talk about? When stuff hurts, Indians try to forget about it. They bury it deep inside 'til it stops hurting. Counsellors call it suppression. I call it survival. Still not ready, son. (pg. 13)

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

Unfortunately, they do have a blow up when Damon's mom inadvertently learns her son has contacted his dad and intends to meet up with him at the powwow. She's angry at him for not trusting her enough to tell her, and he's angry at her for her reaction and trying to control him. It's not a good way to arrive at the reserve. 

 

Soon after, Damon's mom takes off in his car, and he worries she might be drinking and driving. He goes for a walk and meets an older man who seems almost otherworldly, turning rain off and on, making fire of wet wood, and knowing more than Damon thinks he should. 

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

But this man is wise, and he has some choice words for Damon about listening instead of talking, about sitting on the fence, and more. When the man is gone, Damon finds the bear claw necklace in his pocket and is transported by vision to see what his mother experienced, what Journey experienced, and even what his ancestors discussed when faced with starvation or signing a treaty.  

When you don't know who you are, life becomes a tough journey. Same for your mother and your father. (46) 

Still, it's what happens afterwards, meeting family he'd never known but who know him and his gifts, attending a sweat lodge, and learning that he has been chosen, that leads Damon into his next story.

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

Road trips are often transformative. They give opportunities for discussions either previously avoided or finally deemed necessary. A little thing, like Damon asking his mother why she hated being called, "Ma," opens up a lot about her mother, about Damon's dad and about his mom's relationship with him and with drink. Unfortunately, with the arrogance of youth, Damon goes after his mother, accusing her of trying to control him, never recognizing she knows more than he does about her situation. But this journey is but one step in Damon's exploration of self: where he comes from, and perhaps where he is going. Wanda John-Kehewin, who introduced Damon and Journey and others in Visions of the Crow is taking Damon slowly to where he needs to find himself. And while he sees himself through his experiences and through those of his mother, of Journey, and of others who interact with him, his visions of what has happened to them and his ancestors give him insight into his own actions and needs. This richness of self is embedded in Damon's Cree heritage, especially once he arrives at the reserve in Saskatchewan. From the language—kindly translated as needed—to the cultural traditions like the sweat and the offering of tobacco, Wanda John-Kehewin lets us know that being Cree is part of Damon, though there is still much for him to learn.

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

nicole marie burton, who also illustrated Book 1 in the Dreams series (Visions of the Crow, 2023), blends realism with the intangible. Damon is a contemporary teen who listens to his music, goes to school, argues with his mom, and deals with life. But, he sees into the past and into the lives of others, experiencing surreal episodes that nicole marie burton makes believable. They use darkness and textured iridescence to transport the reader to different places and times, convincing us that Damon's vision has shifted. There are hints in the clothing and the scenery, as well as in Wanda John-Kehewin's words, but nicole marie burton shows us without telling us that Damon is going through something cathartic.

 

There is still story to be told, including Damon meeting his father, Damon and Journey's relationship, and Marcus's identification as Cree. But I know that, like Damon's journey, it will happen in due course, with help from those past and present, and be revealed as necessary. Wanda John-Kehewin cares enough to ensure the story is told in its time, making sure that Damon's self-actualization is real, personal, and complete.

 

• • • • • • •

 

Dreams 

 

Visions of the Crow (2023)

Visions From the Fire (2026)

 

Visions of the Crow (Dreams, Book 1)

Written by Wanda John-Kehewin

Illustrated by nicole marie burton

Lettering by Kielamel Sibal

HighWater Press (Portage & Main)

978-1-774920459

80 pp.

Ages 12+

April 2023 

Damon Quinn is a teen who is burdened with challenges that are not of his doing. His mother, Marnie, drinks and doesn't always ensure there's food in the house. At school, he's tormented by a bully Marcus who thinks it's clever to call him an Indian in the cupboard. And there's a crow that seems to be watching him. Damon meets Journey who comes to his defense, saying they should stick together even if he isn't fully Indigenous. When she calls him the Métis Crow Whisperer, he decides to ask his mother about his heritage.

From Visions of the Crow by Wanda John-Kehewin, illus. by nicole marie burton

Though Marnie has always been reluctant to talk about her family and Damon's, and she suggests he's better off without them, she reveals that she is Cree from Alberta, and his father was Métis. When she got pregnant at 17, she left her dysfunctional family on the reserve and she and his father moved to Vancouver. When Damon was four, his dad left to return to the reserve and made a new family with another woman.

From Visions of the Crow by Wanda John-Kehewin, illus. by nicole marie burton

Marnie recognizes that "sometimes when you run from things you run too far the other way" (pg. 21) and that maybe it would be beneficial for Damon to talk to someone. She suggests that this might be especially important to him after he has several visions that he doesn't understand, some when he's sleeping, others when he's awake, that place him in the time of his ancestors. Perhaps it's as he's been told, that the crow is a messenger from his ancestors that they are waiting to help him. 

 

Damon meets with a counsellor named Craig Ben Bolton who helps Damon see the meaning in his visions while also appearing in them. Damon sees his ancestors debating the signing of Treaty 6, juggling whether to starve or lose their land. He meets his great uncle who instructs him in honouring the drum. He witnesses the pain of his great-great-grandmother as a child at residential school. And while he learns about his family's past and Marnie becomes more forthcoming of her own history, Damon discovers the impact of intergenerational (a.k.a. transgenerational or historical) trauma on his mother and now him.

This trauma flows through the bloodlines and into you, Damon. (pg. 63)

From Visions of the Crow by Wanda John-Kehewin, illus. by nicole marie burton

Visions of the Crow is a powerful graphic novel of how the past is never in the past completely. Its impact can be far-reaching whether because of multigenerational trauma or through the learning of important lessons or passing on of cultural traditions or by framing who we are as individuals. And with visions that take him into the past experiences of his ancestors, Damon draws knowledge which can lead to healing and to growth for both Damon and his mother. As such, author Wanda John-Kehewin has made Visions of the Crow a story of family, albeit one that can go back generations and into the future. 

 

There is much darkness in Visions of the Crow and graphic artist nicole marie burton gives that shadow quality to their illustrations with their choice of palette and expressive characters that feel so much. There is much to feel in the story and art of Visions of the Crow and nicole marie burton's art takes us from a tenuous home situation to bullying at school and from anger at the unknown to the delicacy that comes from enlightenment, all while taking the reader from Damon's contemporary life into the past with ease.

 

Visions of the Crow is just the first book in this new graphic novel series–Damon's story continues in the second book, Visions From the Fire–and I anticipate more learning and healing to come for Damon and his family. Maybe it will come through surreal visions again or maybe through very real connection with living family but, whatever way Wanda John-Kehewin decides to take Damon's story, it will be forward.