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Review: Kismet, Man of Fate

Kismet, Man of Fate

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has closed its latest chapter and introduced probably its most powerful superhero, Captain Marvel. As we said goodbye to Iron Man and Black Widow, we were introduced to Carol Danvers.  By the time she showed up in Avengers: Endgame, she had been gone from Earth for at least two decades.

Heroes like Danvers are truly one in a million as their inherent goodness makes her, and Captain America, magnetic to so many fans In a world where bigotry, hate, and greed have become the new normal, it’s almost hard to believe that anyone can actually be good at their core. Even more so, religious freedom is being challenged all the time, where normal people are scared to practice their religion in fear of persecution. In the latest offering from A Wave Blue World, we find a long-dormant hero from World War II, who just so happens to be Muslim, in Kismet, Man Of Fate.

We meet Kismet, an ordinary civilian, as he soon learns about the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub. He wonders what he could have done. We are taken to Boston where an old foe has unleashed a plan to kill a ballroom full of people the same night Trump gets elected to President, leaving one of Kismet’s compatriots’ brother dead. The pain of the loss has made Kismet a recluse while his sister, Rabia and friend Deena attempts to coax him out of his funk to do some good in the world, but instead decides to retire. In his heart, he feels he can do no more good in the world. He decides to start a nonprofit organization that actually helps people, who has faced bigotry since Trump was elected, this is where Kismet finds internal conflict. His apparent retirement coupled with his celebrity has made him a target.

We also get three bonus stories, the first one being “The Fiction Of Free Will.” In it we find Kismet in 1944 France, inside of enemy territory, where he discovers a traitor on the Allied side. In “My First Act Of Free Will,” Qadar and Kismet have their own “Freaky Friday,” In the last bonus story, “Moving Through This World is Supposed to Feel Like Free Will,” Kismet tells viewers worldwide how it was after the war and what has kept him fighting.

Overall, an exhilarating story with a long-forgotten hero. Much like the Green Turtle he needs to be revived in our lost times. The story by A. David Lewis is smart, layered, and well developed. The art by Noel Tuazon and color by Rob Croonenborghs is sophisticated. Altogether, a hero that everyone can get behind especially in this world where intolerance is at the forefront and hope has become a precious commodity.

Story: A. David Lewis
Art: Noel Tuazon Color: Rob Croonenborghs
Story: 10 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

A Wave Blue World Honors Herman Melville’s Bicentenary

This August marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Herman Melville, an American author, best known for the literary masterpiece Moby Dick. To commemorate the author’s bicentenary, publisher A Wave Blue World unveils From Hell’s Heart, an illustrated celebration of the works of Herman Melville that features artists from all disciplines including Dave Malan, Cosimo Miorelli, Ryan Sook, and Brahm Revel, who have been inspired by this celebrated American writer and poet.

The 128-page artbook is available now for pre-order and will be on sale August 7, 2019.


FROM HELL’S HEART: AN ILLUSTRATED CELEBRATION OF THE WORKS OF HERMAN MELVILLE

$29.99 / 128 pages / Full Color / On Sale 8.7.19
Editor: John Arcudi
Cover Artist: Velibor Stanojevic

Diamond Order Code: Jun191557

“No American author has provoked the imaginations of readers more than Herman Melville. To mark the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth (August 1st, 1819) fifty-seven world-renowned artists have come together with gorgeous, brand new illustrations for Moby Dick, Bartleby, The Confidence Man, Pierre, Typee, Billy Budd, White Jacket and much more. A short passage of text will accompany each illustration, giving context to the story. Artists include Matt Kish, Dave Malan, Hunt Emerson, Evan Cagle, Brahm Revel, Ryan Sook, and Cosimo Miorelli.”

A Wave Blue World is Donating 100% of All We Ever Wanted Profits to the Trevor Project in in June

A Wave Blue World is celebrating 2019 Pride Month with a donation campaign honoring the diversity of the LGTBQ+ community, by donating 100% of All We Ever Wanted profits for the month of June to the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth.

All We Ever Wanted Editor Matt Miner said in the announcement:

When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, there really wasn’t any media that normalized LGBTQ+ people.  With All We Ever Wanted, we’ve been able to create a beautiful book where many of the stories just have queer folks existing and being normal and living their lives and having adventures not always tied to their sexuality and struggle – and I think if books like this had existed when I was growing up, I might have had an easier time coming to terms with who I am.  The Trevor Project is doing vital life-saving work and I’m proud that A Wave Blue World has chosen to donate some of the proceeds from our book to that cause.

All We Ever Wanted is an anthology filled with stories that present a brighter vision of the future that gives a platform for a multitude of creative voices that shares A Wave Blue World’s mission of connecting people through storytelling.

The A Wave Blue World’s All We Ever Wanted’s Trevor Project Donation Campaign comes ahead of the 50-year mark of the 1969 Stonewall Riots on June 28th, a pivotal moment in the movement for LGBTQ+ equality.

All We Ever Wanted

A Wave Blue World Gives Back to the Comics Community with Scholarships and Porfolio Reviews at the Kubert School

A Wave Blue World

It’s always great to see publishers and creators giving back to the comics community and A Wave Blue World did just that this past Friday, May 3rd, at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art.

Publishing co-founder Tyler Chin-Tanner returned to the school, his alma mater, with his daughter and artist Maddie Chin-Tanner and VP of Sales and Marketing, PR, Lisa Y. Wu to give back to the school and its students.

Tyler has returned to the Kubert School year after year to impart his knowledge of the industry and the craft of comics by spending the entire day reviewing student portfolios.

Not only that, the publisher gives two scholarships awards to first-year students going into their second year. This year’s recipients were Adelia Gunderson and Elena Morton. The scholarship was founded in 2011 with his Executive Director/Co-Publisher Wendy Chin-Tanner.

Tyler with 2019 A Wave Blue World Scholarship winner Elena Morton
Tyler with A Wave Blue World Scholarship winner Adelia Gunderson

In the announcement, Tyler said:

Going back to visit the Kubert School is always such a joy. It fills me with the kind of energy you can really only get by revisiting the place where your journey began. Being able to review third year “graduating) students’ portfolios is a real eye-opener. This is truly the next generation of comics creators. When I went to school a vast majority of students were male. Now, it’s pretty even, not to mention the fact that they’re coming from all over the world. This broadens the overall perspectives of the class. Students are bringing in a variety of influences which benefit the whole group.

Newly appointed VP of Sales and Marketing, Lisa Y. Wu who accompanied Tyler and Maddie said this sort of giving back helps the publisher deliver “don the mission of making the future brighter with comics!”

A Wave New World was founded in 2005 by Tyler and Wendy Chin-Tanner with the rally cry of “Making Stories Matter.” This October they release their music-theme anthology Dead Beats to the direct market.

Music and Horror Join Forces in Dead Beats from A Wave Blue World

Indie comic publisher A Wave Blue World has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Dead Beats, a horror anthology inspired by SyFy’s Haunted Collector and CBS’s Twilight Zone, incorporating music themes to bring an additional edge.  

Dead Beats, curated by Eric Palicki and Joe Corallo, will be feature a diverse group of industry-shaping storytellers and artists, including recently announced Dwayne McDuffie Award winners Ivy Noelle Weir and Christina “Steenz” Stewart, GLAAD Nominated Magdalene Visaggio, Emmy-nominated writer of Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s Daniel Kibblesmith, Doom Patrol’s Rachel Pollack and Richard Case, Suicide Squad’s Vita Ayala, Women in Comics Collective International co-founder Regene Sawyer, and more.

This music-themed horror anthology centers around the proprietor of a music store that contains a number of unusual artifacts. As the “shoppe keeper” guides readers through the shop, each creator will weave a haunting tale revealing the origin of these mysterious items.

A Wave Blue World is asking readers to be involved and to support Dead Beats’ Kickstarter Campaign by preordering Dead Beats, selecting Exclusive awards offered including original art by artists like Jen Hickman and an one-on-one portfolio review with Joe Illidge, A Wave Blue World’s Editorial Director, formerly editor at DC Comics, Lionforge, and Valiant, or simply just pledging to be included in the backers page.

Dead Beats

Joe Illidge and Lisa Y. Wu Join the A Wave Blue World Team

A Wave Blue World, an independent publisher is expanding its staff to continue connecting people through storytelling and provide a platform for a multitude of creative voices. In their mission to use comics and graphic novels as a medium for change, they have appointed Lisa Y. Wu as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Joe Illidge as Editorial Director.

Experienced in community outreach for diverse organizations and leveraging innovative dynamic marketing strategies to maximize brand awareness, Lisa previously utilized her skills to impact audience and sales growth as Director of Retailer Relations at AfterShock Comics. Among other roles, Lisa also worked as Social Media/Promotions for Saga Communications and Marketing Coordinator for Dave & Busters. Lisa holds a B.A. in English and M.A. in Teaching from The Citadel and is an M.B.A. candidate at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

As Editorial Director for A Wave Blue World, Joe will work with creators from the comic book and global entertainment industries to develop groundbreaking books celebrating inclusion and heroism.

In his career, Joe served as an editor on the Batman for DC Entertainment, Senior Editor for Lion Forge Comics, and Executive Editor for Valiant Entertainment. Joe’s first job in the industry was at Milestone Media, Inc., a publisher of inclusive superhero stories, best known for the award-winning animated series “Static Shock” from Warner Bros.

Review: All We Ever Wanted

When it comes to how the future will look, most creators these days only show us how worse the world can get. This direction may be attributed to the decline of the environment and the primal predilection of man. Things don’t exactly look all that great for us. The stories usually involves zombies like The Walking Dead or the widening of the gap between the poor and rich like The Hunger Games. Rarely do they involve utopias as dystopias create the more interesting conflicts that drives our entertainment.

The thing is there was a time and place where we looked to the stars and though of the possibilities. This is why Back to The Future II was one of the most indelible movies of 1980s and probably most talked about out of that franchise. It gave us hope of what the world could be. Utopias for some reason seem out of reach to the modern imagination. In the latest anthology form A Wave Blue World, All We Ever Wanted, we get several different visions of life in the future where life can be better.

In “The Pilot,” a pilot controls a ship her VR glasses only to encounter an alien queen and her earthbound ally. In “The Weight of Time,” one scientist uses time travel to try and wipe out anti LGBTQ backlash but instead realizes the problem is actually ahead. In “Una,” an alien wins the hearts and minds of the citizens she protects, eventually becoming a citizen because of it. In “Seventeen Souls,” one hero risks it all to save one girl from certain death. In “It Looked like Our Dreams,” two siblings wonder about a future where humanity does save itself. In “Gaea,” mother nature and technology defeat an alien invader in which one protagonist uses to her advantage.  In “Bombs Away,” a world is imagined where violence no longer leads to advantages or problem solving but unity as it was always intended.  In “And The Rest Was Magic,” one woman finds out how it is when one doesn’t buy into the propaganda of a dire future. In “Everything I Own,” one self-admitted pariah slowly builds a community around herself while at the same time, evolving. In “The Inventor’s Daughter,” one woman reunites with her mother after death and returns her to the essence. In “Blackstar,” one man helps people see their future for a cost. In “Life’s A Devil’s Bargain,” one woman shows how hate is more of a choice than one realizes. In “Chat Room,” one awkward girl finds solace with a friend that met online. In “Can you See it Now,” one couple finds out an evil corporation is behind a friend’s death. In “Just Like Heaven,” one young man’s defiance leads to him finding out the secret to the utopia he is living in. In “Alternica,” a man wakes up from being frozen to a world where money doesn’t exist. In “Owning Up To The Past,” one man admits to his daughter, the unjust violence he committed. In “Good Time,” one man’s wish is to see his daughter years after he is released from jail. In “Day At The Park,” a young girl teaches a robot how to fly a kite. In “Choice,” one man designed a robot to have the power of free will, to only regret his decision immediately. In “Seeds,” the grim reaper reminds a retired superhero that there is more to life than regrets.  In “Two Left Feet,” two thieves steal for the love of dance.

Overall, the anthology is an excellent collection of stories that shows that the future can be bright and we all should wear shades. The stories are as diverse and extraordinary as each contributor showing off a wide range of voices and visions. The art by each creator is magnetic, alluring, and vivid. Altogether, the world needs more visions of utopias and this book more than proves it.

Story: Matt Miner, Eric Palicki, Tyler Chin- Tanner, Lucia Fasano, Tess Fowler, Eliot Rahal, Jason Copland, Jennie Wood, Vasilis Pozios, Chris Visions, Lela Gwenn, Alex Paknadel, Chris Peterson, Alisa Kwitney, Mauricet, Josh Gorfain, Matt Lejuene, Howard Mackie, Dean Trippe, Justin Zimmerman, Wendy Chin-Tanner, Toby Cypress, Paul Allor, Jarrett Melendez, Taylor Hoffman, Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, Rich Douek, James Maddox, Gavin Smith, Nadia Shammas, Erik Burnham, Kay Honda, Maria Frohlich
Art: Dean Trippe, Danica Brine, Chris Peterson, Robbi Rodriguez, Michael Wiggam, Maria Frohlich, David Stoll, Ryan Lee, Juan Romera, Tony Gregori, Tess Fowler, Chris Visions, Ethan Claunch, Jude Vigants,  K.R.Whalen, Matt Horak, Jeff McComsey,  Gavin Smith, Ryan Cody, Liana Kangas, Anthony Marques, Jason Copland, Eryk Donovan, Micah Meyers, Josh Jensen, Nick Wentland, Taylor Esposito, Matt Krotzer, Zakk Saam
Story: 10 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

A Wave Blue World provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Advance Review: All We Ever Wanted

When it comes to how the future will look, most creators these days only show us how worse the world can get. This direction may be attributed to the decline of the environment and the primal predilection of man. Things don’t exactly look all that great for us. The stories usually involves zombies like The Walking Dead or the widening of the gap between the poor and rich like The Hunger Games. Rarely do they involve utopias as dystopias create the more interesting conflicts that drives our entertainment.

The thing is there was a time and place where we looked to the stars and though of the possibilities. This is why Back to The Future II was one of the most indelible movies of 1980s and probably most talked about out of that franchise. It gave us hope of what the world could be. Utopias for some reason seem out of reach to the modern imagination. In the latest anthology form A Wave Blue World, All We Ever Wanted, we get several different visions of life in the future where life can be better.

In “The Pilot,” a pilot controls a ship her VR glasses only to encounter an alien queen and her earthbound ally. In “The Weight of Time,” one scientist uses time travel to try and wipe out anti LGBTQ backlash but instead realizes the problem is actually ahead. In “Una,” an alien wins the hearts and minds of the citizens she protects, eventually becoming a citizen because of it. In “Seventeen Souls,” one hero risks it all to save one girl from certain death. In “It Looked like Our Dreams,” two siblings wonder about a future where humanity does save itself. In “Gaea,” mother nature and technology defeat an alien invader in which one protagonist uses to her advantage.  In “Bombs Away,” a world is imagined where violence no longer leads to advantages or problem solving but unity as it was always intended.  In “And The Rest Was Magic,” one woman finds out how it is when one doesn’t buy into the propaganda of a dire future. In “Everything I Own,” one self-admitted pariah slowly builds a community around herself while at the same time, evolving. In “The Inventor’s Daughter,” one woman reunites with her mother after death and returns her to the essence. In “Blackstar,” one man helps people see their future for a cost. In “Life’s A Devil’s Bargain,” one woman shows how hate is more of a choice than one realizes. In “Chat Room,” one awkward girl finds solace with a friend that met online. In “Can you See it Now,” one couple finds out an evil corporation is behind a friend’s death. In “Just Like Heaven,” one young man’s defiance leads to him finding out the secret to the utopia he is living in. In “Alternica,” a man wakes up from being frozen to a world where money doesn’t exist. In “Owning Up To The Past,” one man admits to his daughter, the unjust violence he committed. In “Good Time,” one man’s wish is to see his daughter years after he is released from jail. In “Day At The Park,” a young girl teaches a robot how to fly a kite. In “Choice,” one man designed a robot to have the power of free will, to only regret his decision immediately. In “Seeds,” the grim reaper reminds a retired superhero that there is more to life than regrets.  In “Two Left Feet,” two thieves steal for the love of dance.

Overall, the anthology is an excellent collection of stories that shows that the future can be bright and we all should wear shades. The story are as diverse and extraordinary as each contributor showing off a wide range of voices and visions. The art by each creator is magnetic, alluring, and vivid. Altogether, the world needs more visions of utopias and this book more than proves it.

Story: Matt Miner, Eric Palicki, Tyler Chin- Tanner, Lucia Fasano, Tess Fowler, Eliot Rahal, Jason Copland, Jennie Wood, Vasilis Pozios, Chris Visions, Lela Gwenn, Alex Paknadel, Chris Peterson, Alisa Kwitney, Mauricet, Josh Gorfain, Matt Lejuene, Howard Mackie, Dean Trippe, Justin Zimmerman, Wendy Chin-Tanner, Toby Cypress, Paul Allor, Jarrett Melendez, Taylor Hoffman, Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, Rich Douek, James Maddox, Gavin Smith, Nadia Shammas, Erik Burnham, Kay Honda, Maria Frohlich
Art: Dean Trippe, Danica Brine, Chris Peterson, Robbi Rodriguez, Michael Wiggam, Maria Frohlich, David Stoll, Ryan Lee, Juan Romera, Tony Gregori, Tess Fowler, Chris Visions, Ethan Claunch, Jude Vigants,  K.R.Whalen, Matt Horak, Jeff McComsey,  Gavin Smith, Ryan Cody, Liana Kangas, Anthony Marques, Jason Copland, Eryk Donovan, Micah Meyers, Josh Jensen, Nick Wentland, Taylor Esposito, Matt Krotzer, Zakk Saam
Story: 10 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

A Wave Blue World provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

A Wave Blue World offers Free Comics to Supporters of Mark Waid’s Legal Fund

A Wave Blue World (AWBW), publisher of anthologies such as Broken Frontier, All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World, and the upcoming Death of the Horror Anthology, announces they will send free digital copies of This Nightmare Kills Fascists and a special color version of the All We Ever Wanted ashcan edition to anyone who donates $15USD or more to Mark Waid‘s legal fundraiser.

The longstanding comic book pro is currently being sued by one of the perceived leaders of the online harassment movement called ‘ComicsGate’. To fund his defense against the suit, Waid has launched a crowdfunding appeal on Go Fund Me.

Curated and edited by Matt Miner (GWAR, Poser) and Eric Palicki (No Angel, Atlantis Wasn’t Built For Tourists), This Nightmare Kills Fascists is a horror anthology in the style of Creepy and Eerie, told against the backdrop of modern politics.  It boasts stories from a plethora of hot creators including Vita Ayala, Tini Howard, Justin Jordan, Ariela Kristantina, Ryan Ferrier, and many, many more.

All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World is an upcoming anthology spearheaded by the same editorial team plus AWBW publisher Tyler Chin-Tanner that looks into a more hopeful and positive future, and has been described as “less Mad Max, more Star Trek.”  Currently available to order in the October issue of Previews, the anthology is set to hit stores in December.

The print version of the ashcan was an exclusive for NYCC ‘18, but can now be obtained digitally only by those who support this fund. It contains three of the stories from the anthology by creators Robbi Rodriguez, Tyler Chin-Tanner, Paul Allor, Juan Romera, Eric Palicki, and Eryk Donovan.

AWBW publisher Tyler Chin-Tanner said in the release:

Over his entire career, Mark Waid has always been a champion for creators’ rights and now he’s standing up for them against bullying and harassment. It’s important for us to come together now as a comics community to support him.

Comic creator Matt Miner added:

If our fascist-smashing anthology can help Mark Waid fight against actual fascists in comics then I’m all for it. I stand with my LGBT family and trans friends in denouncing comicsgate and all the hate that they spew.

Comic creator Eric Palicki also said:

I don’t know Mark personally, but I’ve followed his work for as long as I’ve been reading comics. It’s no surprise a writer who understands Superman or Daredevil so profoundly would devote so much of himself to standing up to real-life bullies, and I’m proud to help Mark in any way I can.

To obtain the PDFs for This Nightmare Kills Fascists and the All We Ever Wanted ashcan, please send a screenshot of your receipt of your donation of $15USD or more to Mark Waid’s fundraiser to tyler@awbw.com.

Exclusive: Read Chris Peterson’s “Una” from All We Ever Wanted, Out this December

Out December 12 from A Wave Blue World, the comic anthology All We Ever Wanted includes an impressive collection of creative talent. The anthology is filled with stories that present a brighter vision of the future. No doom-and-gloom here! These sci-fi tales are meant to inspire hope and restore the belief that a better world is possible.

Check out the full list of what you’ll find:

Dean Trippe – “The Pilot” Vasillis Pozios & Ryan Cody – “Good Time”
Jennie Wood & Jeff McComsey – “Alternica” Justin Zimmerman & Ethan Claunch – “Life is a Devil’s Bargain”
Paul Allor & Juan Romera – “And the Rest is Music” Maria Frohlich – “It Looked Like Our Dreams”
Chris Visions – “Blackstar” Matt Miner & Matt Horak – “Just Like Heaven”
Howard Mackie & Ryan Lee – “Bombs Away” James Maddox & Gavin Smith – “Owning Up to the Past”
Taylor Hoffman & K.R. Whalen – “Can You See It Now” Lucia Fasano & Tess Fowler – “The Inventor’s Daughter”
Nadia Shammas & Jude Vagrants – “Chat Room” Jarrett Melendez & Danica Brine – “The Weight of Time”
Kay Honda & Liana Kangas – “Choice” Tyler Chin-Tanner & Robbi Rodriguez – “Seventeen Souls”
Eliot Rahal & Jason Copland – “Day at the Park” Chris Peterson – “Una”
Lela Gwenn & Tony Gregori – “Everything I Own” Erik Burnham & Anthony Marques – “Seeds”
Josh Gorfain & Matt LeJeune – “First Steps Outside” Eric Palicki & Eryk Donovan – “Two Left Feet”
Richard Douek & David Stoll – “Gaea” Wendy Chin-Tanner & Toby Cypress – “Velleity”

The cover is by Ariela Kristantina with colors by Michael Wiggam.

You can pre-order it now from your comic shop with Diamond Order Code: OCT181514.

A Wave Blue World has hooked us up with an exclusive look at Chris Peterson‘s “Una,” which you can read below.

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