Posted in: Comics | Tagged: george rr martin, graphic novel, wild cards

George RR Martin Presents New Wild Cards Graphic Novel, Now & Then

Published Fri, 04 Nov 2022 09:58:10 -0500

Recently, Marvel Comics began adapting the original Wild Cards books into comic books, but this may be ahead of something bigger. A brand new original graphic novel. Carrie Vaughan is writing, and Renae DeLiz is drawing George R. R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Now and Then, being published by Bantam on the 25th of July, 2023.

George R. R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Now and Then A Graphic Novel by Carrie Vaughn and Renae DeLiz

Two heroes revisit a traumatic incident from their past—and learn hard truths in the present—in this original graphic novel set in the Wild Cards universe, where an alien virus mutates some and grants superpowers to others, created by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones. In 1946, an alien virus ravaged the world, its results as random as a hand of cards. Those infected either draw the black queen and die, draw an ace and receive superpowers, or draw the joker and are bizarrely mutated.

Over a year ago, the U.N.'s Committee for Extraordinary Interventions sent ace heroes Ana Cortez and Kate Brandt—Earth Witch and Curveball—to Brazil to investigate Aurora Mission, a charity that claimed to provide education and medical care for those affected by the Wild Card virus. But local ace and activist Gabriel Silva reported abuses. Ana and Kate helped him get to the truth, which turned out to be far more sinister than anyone expected. Ana and Kate thought that case was closed, but now a Brazilian official has questions. Did they do the right thing or overreach their authority? The case amply demonstrates that, even in a world of incredible powers, there will always be victims.

$28.99 US Bantam Dell July 25, 2023 144 Pages Grades 9-12

Carrie Vaughn is the author of the urban fantasy Kitty Norville, and Cormac And Amelia series, as well as one the authors for the Wild Cards anthologies. Vaughn also won the 2018 Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, and was nominated for the Hugo Awards. Renee DeLiz was the founder of the Womanthology project, and artist on The Legend Of Wonder Woman, The Last Unicorn and Peter Pan.

Spanning more than 25 novels, 20 short stories, and written by more than 40 authors over three decades, the Wild Cards series, devided by George R.R. Martin, tells the story of an alternate history where Earth is home to super-powered individuals. When a human is infected with the alien "Wild Card" virus, the odds are that they will be killed… which is referred to as "drawing the black queen". Of those that survive, the bulk of them become "jokers", left with some strange mutated form. A lucky few are called "aces", those gifted with super powers they can put to use towards heroic goals… or villainous ones.

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