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George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards - Comics #omnibus
George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards: The Hard Call
In 1946, an alien virus is accidentally unleashed that changes the world forever. Most of those infected die horribly, said to have drawn the Black Queen as their fated card. Ninety percent of those who survive mutate into Jokers–deformed, broken, hated, and feared. But a handful are lucky enough to become Aces, gaining superpowers that allow them to achieve almost anything the mind can conceive—both in dreams and in nightmares.
Sixty years later, an Ace named Croyd Crenson, better known as the Sleeper, is framed for the murder of a young nurse in New York City’s Jokertown. As Crenson investigates the killing to clear his name, he has to fight to stay awake, or else his unusual ability will change him into something else entirely.
Meanwhile, a group of teenagers in Whiteoak, Colorado, accidentally activate the dormant wild-card virus, wiping out nearly the entire town. As the teens are sent to the Jokertown clinic, they discover that not all Jokers are bad and not all Aces are good.
Set in the world of the novels edited by George R.R. Martin and featuring a brand-new set of characters as well as appearances from many old favorites, Wild Cards: The Hard Call is an original story written specifically for comics that will enchant new readers and old fans alike.
Sixty years later, an Ace named Croyd Crenson, better known as the Sleeper, is framed for the murder of a young nurse in New York City’s Jokertown. As Crenson investigates the killing to clear his name, he has to fight to stay awake, or else his unusual ability will change him into something else entirely.
Meanwhile, a group of teenagers in Whiteoak, Colorado, accidentally activate the dormant wild-card virus, wiping out nearly the entire town. As the teens are sent to the Jokertown clinic, they discover that not all Jokers are bad and not all Aces are good.
Set in the world of the novels edited by George R.R. Martin and featuring a brand-new set of characters as well as appearances from many old favorites, Wild Cards: The Hard Call is an original story written specifically for comics that will enchant new readers and old fans alike.
161 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
28 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Abraham
260 books3,025 followersDaniel James Abraham, pen names M.L.N. Hanover and James S.A. Corey, is an American novelist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of
The Long Price Quartet
and
The Dagger and the Coin
fantasy series, and with Ty Franck, as the co-author of
The Expanse
series of science fiction novels, written under the joint pseudonym James S.A. Corey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 6, 2025
This is a good graphic novel set in the long-running Wild Cards universe, which is essentially a shared-world comic book setting that, ironically, was initially told only in prose format stories. I thought they did a good job of both telling a Wild Cards tale and presenting a good comic. (Or graphic novel. Or sequential art book. Pick your preference.) There have been quite a few different Wild Cards comics over the years from quite a few different publishers, and this is another good one. The art isn't quite as good as some, but the story is fun. The only established character from the books who plays a major role is Croyd Crenson, the Sleeper (and they really should have put a note on the copyright or title page acknowledging that he was created by Roger Zelazny, in my opinion), but we meet an interesting group of young people and see how they deal with their exposure to/infection with the virus. Can Croyd stay awake long enough to save the day? It's a very well-written piece. There's a bonus short at the end by Melinda Snodgrass about a couple of guys trying to distribute The Watchtower in Jokertown which is cool, too.
August 28, 2017
The Wild Card series has been going for some years and I must admit my experience has been purely in book form.
Now the shared universe of Wild Cards is a truly fantastic idea. The back story and rationale is incredibly detailed almost as much as the current stories being told - however this is my first brush with the world in comic book form.
So the first thing I would say is that it was nothing like I expected - which is strange since I wasn't sure what to expect. For me the story of the Wild Card virus was a means to introduce super powers but in actual fact it is far more subtle than that. What you have here is as the book says a chance to tell stories where not all aces are good and jokers are bad.
Now taking this theme as you can imagine, there are a myriad of stories you could tell but to make sure you do not fall in to a cliche worse is the real value of the story teller, and in The Hard Call you get to see this demonstrated.
The book itself is pretty straight forward in some senses but to finally see the Joker Town in all its glory, witness some of the characters often referred to but never seen and to witness how the world has change (become accustomed to) the effects of the Virus are fascinating.
To be honest I would love to see more Wild Card stories in this format - the share universe is still ongoing but I am not sure it has the same momentum as before, which is a shame as it allows stories to be honest you otherwise would have never been able to.
Now the shared universe of Wild Cards is a truly fantastic idea. The back story and rationale is incredibly detailed almost as much as the current stories being told - however this is my first brush with the world in comic book form.
So the first thing I would say is that it was nothing like I expected - which is strange since I wasn't sure what to expect. For me the story of the Wild Card virus was a means to introduce super powers but in actual fact it is far more subtle than that. What you have here is as the book says a chance to tell stories where not all aces are good and jokers are bad.
Now taking this theme as you can imagine, there are a myriad of stories you could tell but to make sure you do not fall in to a cliche worse is the real value of the story teller, and in The Hard Call you get to see this demonstrated.
The book itself is pretty straight forward in some senses but to finally see the Joker Town in all its glory, witness some of the characters often referred to but never seen and to witness how the world has change (become accustomed to) the effects of the Virus are fascinating.
To be honest I would love to see more Wild Card stories in this format - the share universe is still ongoing but I am not sure it has the same momentum as before, which is a shame as it allows stories to be honest you otherwise would have never been able to.
July 22, 2022
This is a review of the original graphic novel based on George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards series. It was published by Dabel Brothers Comics in March 2008. Chronologically it takes place between Death Draws Five and Inside Straight. The hardback edition collects all six issues, each about 27 pages in length.
I have mixed feelings about Eric Battle's artwork in this series. He uses a dark palette which is particularly effective for the noir-ish scenes set in the streets of Jokertown. However, his background characters show a distinct lack of imagination--too many of them look like elephants, insects, or tentacled characters from the Mos Eisley cantina. Troll does not match the descriptions from the novels. Sasha does not look at all like I imagined.
The script by Daniel Abraham follows two intersecting story lines. In the first, Croyd Crenson aka 'The Sleeper' learns his sometime girlfriend and all-the-time drug dealer has been murdered. He is determined to find the killer before he sleeps again. This story effectively shows the many sides of Croyd. He usually wakes up in a helpful, generous mood, but then he descends into paranoia and finally drug-addled rage the longer his cycle is prolonged.
In the second subplot, there is a wild card outbreak in a Colorado high school. Simon and Alex survive with Ace powers: one can travel through mirrors, the other shoots lightning from his eyes and fingers. (Boring superpowers that have already been done in Flash and X-Men.) Kira becomes a joker with a caterpillar body (similar to the body that Gregg Hartmann got in Card Sharks). This whole plot feels like a retread. The books have already featured numerous origin stories that deal with the trauma and survivor's guilt of escaping the Black Queen.
The title refers to the difficult choice jokers are faced with: Do they take the Trump Virus cure which has a 33% of chance of killing them? (Note: This is a continuity error. The fatality rate of this drug was first said to be 29% in Marked Cards, then 50% in Death Draws Five.)
I did enjoy the resolution of both plots. The story ended on a high note; Issue 6 was the strongest of the series.
3 stars: An 'ok' effort but not as good as the series deserves.
I have mixed feelings about Eric Battle's artwork in this series. He uses a dark palette which is particularly effective for the noir-ish scenes set in the streets of Jokertown. However, his background characters show a distinct lack of imagination--too many of them look like elephants, insects, or tentacled characters from the Mos Eisley cantina. Troll does not match the descriptions from the novels. Sasha does not look at all like I imagined.
The script by Daniel Abraham follows two intersecting story lines. In the first, Croyd Crenson aka 'The Sleeper' learns his sometime girlfriend and all-the-time drug dealer has been murdered. He is determined to find the killer before he sleeps again. This story effectively shows the many sides of Croyd. He usually wakes up in a helpful, generous mood, but then he descends into paranoia and finally drug-addled rage the longer his cycle is prolonged.
In the second subplot, there is a wild card outbreak in a Colorado high school. Simon and Alex survive with Ace powers: one can travel through mirrors, the other shoots lightning from his eyes and fingers. (Boring superpowers that have already been done in Flash and X-Men.) Kira becomes a joker with a caterpillar body (similar to the body that Gregg Hartmann got in Card Sharks). This whole plot feels like a retread. The books have already featured numerous origin stories that deal with the trauma and survivor's guilt of escaping the Black Queen.
The title refers to the difficult choice jokers are faced with: Do they take the Trump Virus cure which has a 33% of chance of killing them? (Note: This is a continuity error. The fatality rate of this drug was first said to be 29% in Marked Cards, then 50% in Death Draws Five.)
I did enjoy the resolution of both plots. The story ended on a high note; Issue 6 was the strongest of the series.
3 stars: An 'ok' effort but not as good as the series deserves.
February 26, 2018
It’s always nice to visit the Wild Cards universe and I enjoyed this story. The one big fault for me was that Croyd Crenson, aka The Sleeper, seems really over-the-top violent in this incarnation. I suppose that can be handwaved away due to his unique power — every time he goes to sleep he transforms into something else — and the way he deals with it, by popping enough amphetamines to levitate a horse, but he went for punching every time he had a choice. Croyd is one of the original Wild Card characters, both fictionally and in terms of the books, so I’m pretty familiar with him. Just feels somewhat out of character, is all.
Wild Cards is probably the darkest of the superhero universes, very much in the film noir/hardboiled detective vein, and this story about the physical dangers and emotional ramifications of the virus as well as taking the cure (the “trump card” virus) is right in line with that darker style.
Other than the Croyd thing it’s a solid story, as is the short follow-up tale about two young Jehovah’s Witnesses assigned to Jokertown. One freaks out while the other embraces empathy. Nothing worldshaking, but solid.
The art is well-done, too. No complaints there.
Wild Cards is probably the darkest of the superhero universes, very much in the film noir/hardboiled detective vein, and this story about the physical dangers and emotional ramifications of the virus as well as taking the cure (the “trump card” virus) is right in line with that darker style.
Other than the Croyd thing it’s a solid story, as is the short follow-up tale about two young Jehovah’s Witnesses assigned to Jokertown. One freaks out while the other embraces empathy. Nothing worldshaking, but solid.
The art is well-done, too. No complaints there.
January 1, 2018
I think this volume benefited from going with the single writer approach. Abraham created a credible story set in the Wild Card Universe featuring both new characters and old. I think he made good use of The Sleeper, and gave Croyd a good portrayal of being more amoral than either good or evil in this tale.
The basic premise is that somehow, the explanation comes towards the end, a new Wild Card outbreak takes place in Colorado. The surviving victims are transported to New York City's Jokertown Clinic for treatment and help is transitioning to their new live (Joke, Ace...).
Except someone is going about trying to cure Jokers, with a method that kills as many if not more than it "cures".
The moral ambiguity that takes place in this story makes this a good addition to the series over.
The basic premise is that somehow, the explanation comes towards the end, a new Wild Card outbreak takes place in Colorado. The surviving victims are transported to New York City's Jokertown Clinic for treatment and help is transitioning to their new live (Joke, Ace...).
Except someone is going about trying to cure Jokers, with a method that kills as many if not more than it "cures".
The moral ambiguity that takes place in this story makes this a good addition to the series over.
October 31, 2019
An outstanding new chapter in the Wild Cards saga. Abraham offers perhaps the best portrayal of Croyd ever, and does a great job of mixing that in with the appearance of new Wild Cards. He also does a great job of depicting what falling victim to the Wild Card virus really means to Jokers and Aces alike.
Though this volume might not tell a pivotal story in the Wild Cards universe, like most of the novels, it is wonderful in how it reveals many of the specific qualities of the Wild Cards universe more powerfully than can be found with the printed word alone.
Though this volume might not tell a pivotal story in the Wild Cards universe, like most of the novels, it is wonderful in how it reveals many of the specific qualities of the Wild Cards universe more powerfully than can be found with the printed word alone.
August 6, 2019
I picked this up because I wanted to give it a chance after reading the plot, and I found it interesting to be honest. I don't really feel that much attachment to the characters, and by how quickly people were killed off you can't really build attachment if you wanted to.
I know this is actually from a series of novels, and this was a graphic rendition of something in the universe - however, I seem to get the gist of more-or-less how everything in this universe would play out.
It still was a great read, but I'd like to give the original comics a chance before saying I've had enough of the universe.
I know this is actually from a series of novels, and this was a graphic rendition of something in the universe - however, I seem to get the gist of more-or-less how everything in this universe would play out.
It still was a great read, but I'd like to give the original comics a chance before saying I've had enough of the universe.
July 29, 2014
Forewarning to others that got this in the Dynamite ebook bundle, the pdf and cbz formats have the pages all in the wrong order. The other two formats seem ok. It makes a lot more sense if you don't have the end and the beginning all shuffled together.
I like the concept of the disease that turns people into mutants or super heroes, though I guess G.R.R. Martin gets the credit there, not the comic book writer. I liked the overall plot arc, too, the antagonist's goal was interesting and he could have been a deep and complex character if the storytelling hadn't suffered from the cheesiness and lack of depth that is common in comic books.
Not fond of the art style, I guess it's trying to be noir but the enormous shadows make it harder to see things.
I like the concept of the disease that turns people into mutants or super heroes, though I guess G.R.R. Martin gets the credit there, not the comic book writer. I liked the overall plot arc, too, the antagonist's goal was interesting and he could have been a deep and complex character if the storytelling hadn't suffered from the cheesiness and lack of depth that is common in comic books.
Not fond of the art style, I guess it's trying to be noir but the enormous shadows make it harder to see things.
December 31, 2013
A great addition to the Wild Card series. Provides a great visual of the Wild Cards world. Great artwork. We have new characters along with a few old ones. I only wish that there would have been a connection to the current trilogy at the time. Not a big one, more like a passing mention. Just to help connect the comic to the reboot book series. On that note it would have been good to either have some of the characters or the events of the comics mentioned in the future books to make the comic less of a stand-alone.
January 26, 2022
Peste ani, când l-am văzut pe Michael Rennie ieşind din farfuria zburătoare, în „Ziua când Pământul s-a oprit”, m-am aplecat spre soţia mea şi i-am zis:
― Ei, uite-aşa trebuie s-arate un trimis al extratereştrilor.
Am bănuit dintotdeauna că ideea filmului a fost inspirată de sosirea lui Tachyon, dar ştiţi şi voi cum răsuceşte Hollywoodul lucrurile. Am fost de faţă, aşa că ştiu cum s-a întâmplat în realitate. În primul rând, a aterizat în White Sands, nu în Washington. N-avea niciun robot, iar noi n-am tras în el. Dacă te gândeşti ce-a urmat, poate c-ar fi trebuit, hm?
Cât despre nava lui, ei bine, nici pomeneală să fi fost o farfurie zburătoare şi n-avea nimic în comun cu V-2-urile capturate de noi sau măcar cu rachetele lunare din planşele lui Werner. Sfida orice lege cunoscută a aerodinamicii, chiar şi relativitatea restrânsă a lui Einstein.
Vizitatorul a venit noaptea, cu nava învăluită într-o puzderie de lumini ― cea mai frumoasă imagine pe care mi-a fost dat s-o văd. S-a oprit ca un pietroi în mijlocul terenului de testare, fără rachete, elice, rotoare sau orice alte mijloace vizibile de propulsie. Fuzelajul arăta ca un coral sau ca un fel de rocă poroasă. Era plin de volute şi orificii, ca o ciudăţenie pe care ai putea s-o găseşti într-o peşteră calcaroasă ori s-o zăreşti în timpul unei scufundări în adâncuri.
Jeepul meu a ajuns primul la faţa locului. Tach era deja afară când ne-am apropiat. Michael Rennie, da, el arăta cum se cuvine în costumul lui albastru-argintiu de astronaut, însă Tachyon ai fi zis că era unul dintre cei trei muşchetari, cu alură de circar. Nu mi-e jenă să mărturisesc, eram toţi speriaţi de-a binelea când ne-am dus acolo, băieţii de la rachete, savanţii şi soldaţii deopotrivă. Mi-am amintit de Mercury Theatre şi de emisiunea aceea din anii ’39, când Orson Wells a păcălit pe toată lumea că New Jersey e invadat de marţieni şi nu puteam să nu mă gândesc că poate de data asta era de-adevăratelea. Dar imediat ce l-a atins lumina lanternei, cum stătea el acolo, în faţa navei, ne-am relaxat toţi. Pur şi simplu nu inspira teamă. Era scund ― 1,62, poate 1,65 ― şi, la drept vorbind, părea mai speriat decât noi. Purta nişte pantaloni strâmţi verzi, care se continuau cu cizmele, o cămaşă portocalie cu volane de dantelă la încheieturi şi la gât şi un fel de vestă argintie de brocart, foarte strâmtă. Haina era un veşmânt galben-lămâie, încadrat de o mantie verde care fâlfâia în vânt, agăţându-i-se de călcâie. Pe cap avea o pălărie cu boruri largi, din care se iţea o pană roşie, numai că atunci când m-am apropiat mai mult am văzut că de fapt era un fel de ţep ciudat. Părul i se revărsa pe umeri. La prima vedere, am crezut că-i o fată. Şi avea firul de păr mai altfel, roşu şi strălucitor, ca o sârmă subţire de cupru.
Nu ştiam ce să cred despre el, dar îmi amintesc că unul dintre nemţii noştri a zis că arată ca un francez.
Nici n-am ajuns bine, că a venit aţă la jeepul nostru, fără pic de sfială, opintindu-se prin nisip cu un sac mare vârât sub braţ. A început să ne spună cum îl cheamă şi a ţinut-o tot aşa până s-au apropiat alte patru jeepuri. Vorbea mai bine engleza decât majoritatea nemţilor noştri, cu toate că avea un accent bizar, dar nu ne-am putut da bine seama la început, când ne-a tot spus cum îl cheamă timp de zece minute.
Eu am fost prima fiinţă umană care i-a vorbit. Dumnezeu ştie că ăsta-i adevărul, nu-mi pasă ce vă spun alţii, eu am fost. Am coborât din jeep şi am întins mâna.
― Bun venit în America!
― Ei, uite-aşa trebuie s-arate un trimis al extratereştrilor.
Am bănuit dintotdeauna că ideea filmului a fost inspirată de sosirea lui Tachyon, dar ştiţi şi voi cum răsuceşte Hollywoodul lucrurile. Am fost de faţă, aşa că ştiu cum s-a întâmplat în realitate. În primul rând, a aterizat în White Sands, nu în Washington. N-avea niciun robot, iar noi n-am tras în el. Dacă te gândeşti ce-a urmat, poate c-ar fi trebuit, hm?
Cât despre nava lui, ei bine, nici pomeneală să fi fost o farfurie zburătoare şi n-avea nimic în comun cu V-2-urile capturate de noi sau măcar cu rachetele lunare din planşele lui Werner. Sfida orice lege cunoscută a aerodinamicii, chiar şi relativitatea restrânsă a lui Einstein.
Vizitatorul a venit noaptea, cu nava învăluită într-o puzderie de lumini ― cea mai frumoasă imagine pe care mi-a fost dat s-o văd. S-a oprit ca un pietroi în mijlocul terenului de testare, fără rachete, elice, rotoare sau orice alte mijloace vizibile de propulsie. Fuzelajul arăta ca un coral sau ca un fel de rocă poroasă. Era plin de volute şi orificii, ca o ciudăţenie pe care ai putea s-o găseşti într-o peşteră calcaroasă ori s-o zăreşti în timpul unei scufundări în adâncuri.
Jeepul meu a ajuns primul la faţa locului. Tach era deja afară când ne-am apropiat. Michael Rennie, da, el arăta cum se cuvine în costumul lui albastru-argintiu de astronaut, însă Tachyon ai fi zis că era unul dintre cei trei muşchetari, cu alură de circar. Nu mi-e jenă să mărturisesc, eram toţi speriaţi de-a binelea când ne-am dus acolo, băieţii de la rachete, savanţii şi soldaţii deopotrivă. Mi-am amintit de Mercury Theatre şi de emisiunea aceea din anii ’39, când Orson Wells a păcălit pe toată lumea că New Jersey e invadat de marţieni şi nu puteam să nu mă gândesc că poate de data asta era de-adevăratelea. Dar imediat ce l-a atins lumina lanternei, cum stătea el acolo, în faţa navei, ne-am relaxat toţi. Pur şi simplu nu inspira teamă. Era scund ― 1,62, poate 1,65 ― şi, la drept vorbind, părea mai speriat decât noi. Purta nişte pantaloni strâmţi verzi, care se continuau cu cizmele, o cămaşă portocalie cu volane de dantelă la încheieturi şi la gât şi un fel de vestă argintie de brocart, foarte strâmtă. Haina era un veşmânt galben-lămâie, încadrat de o mantie verde care fâlfâia în vânt, agăţându-i-se de călcâie. Pe cap avea o pălărie cu boruri largi, din care se iţea o pană roşie, numai că atunci când m-am apropiat mai mult am văzut că de fapt era un fel de ţep ciudat. Părul i se revărsa pe umeri. La prima vedere, am crezut că-i o fată. Şi avea firul de păr mai altfel, roşu şi strălucitor, ca o sârmă subţire de cupru.
Nu ştiam ce să cred despre el, dar îmi amintesc că unul dintre nemţii noştri a zis că arată ca un francez.
Nici n-am ajuns bine, că a venit aţă la jeepul nostru, fără pic de sfială, opintindu-se prin nisip cu un sac mare vârât sub braţ. A început să ne spună cum îl cheamă şi a ţinut-o tot aşa până s-au apropiat alte patru jeepuri. Vorbea mai bine engleza decât majoritatea nemţilor noştri, cu toate că avea un accent bizar, dar nu ne-am putut da bine seama la început, când ne-a tot spus cum îl cheamă timp de zece minute.
Eu am fost prima fiinţă umană care i-a vorbit. Dumnezeu ştie că ăsta-i adevărul, nu-mi pasă ce vă spun alţii, eu am fost. Am coborât din jeep şi am întins mâna.
― Bun venit în America!
September 12, 2019
The Wild Card virus deals a random fate: you die, you become a deformed Joker, a superpowered Ace, or a lousy-powered Deuce (something like turning jello into motor oil I think was the example someone in the story mentioned). The Trump virus is a gamble, a reshuffle, a discard your card and draw a new one. You might go back to normal or you might die.
This story follows a high-schooler who becomes an Ace after an outbreak at his school that killed his little brother. It also follows The Sleeper, an Ace who changes form every time he sleeps, and his search for who killed a nurse friend (and occasional lover) of his who supplied him with uppers to keep him awake.
I got this in a Humble Bundle a while back and just got to it. That's why I'm starting partway into the series. It's somewhat standard superhero stuff with the twist of a virus causing the changes instead of a puberty-triggered genetic factor, gamma rays, radioactive arachnids, etc.
I did like how it explored some survivor's guilt, how being an Ace isn't always great, how taking the Trump cure isn't really a no-brainer. I was intrigued by The Sleeper and I assume he's better explained in other volumes because I'm only really guessing how his power works based on what I read here. The motivation of [antagonist] to spread the Trump virus around was interesting and I'm wondering if it was due to all they'd seen and experienced in their line of work.
I think I read a Wild Card story in some other collection and it was decent. I wouldn't mind reading more (especially in graphic novel form).
This story follows a high-schooler who becomes an Ace after an outbreak at his school that killed his little brother. It also follows The Sleeper, an Ace who changes form every time he sleeps, and his search for who killed a nurse friend (and occasional lover) of his who supplied him with uppers to keep him awake.
I got this in a Humble Bundle a while back and just got to it. That's why I'm starting partway into the series. It's somewhat standard superhero stuff with the twist of a virus causing the changes instead of a puberty-triggered genetic factor, gamma rays, radioactive arachnids, etc.
I did like how it explored some survivor's guilt, how being an Ace isn't always great, how taking the Trump cure isn't really a no-brainer. I was intrigued by The Sleeper and I assume he's better explained in other volumes because I'm only really guessing how his power works based on what I read here. The motivation of [antagonist] to spread the Trump virus around was interesting and I'm wondering if it was due to all they'd seen and experienced in their line of work.
I think I read a Wild Card story in some other collection and it was decent. I wouldn't mind reading more (especially in graphic novel form).
July 22, 2018
George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards: The Hard Call (Hardcover)
by Daniel Abraham
This has been on my list for years, thanks to the Wild Cards World site, I was able to purchase and read this Wild Card Story. Daniel Abraham has built a legacy in stories with his co author on the James S A Corey series, Expanse, but his first start was in these Wild Cards comic books. I love the Wild Cards and this comic not only links the series back to its originators love (George R R Martin loves comic books) but also continues the story. What would happen if the Trump virus landed in notorious hands? What the fans will love is The Sleeper Croyd Crenson is featured in another of his ace personas and his powers are amazing. The main idea of the story is showing the nature of human beings, how they are motivated by their own interpretation of their own role in life. The story goes through the struggle of young high school students in Colorado exposed to the Wild Card virus. How they learn how to cope and understand the tragic nature of the exposure, some died, some turned into jokers, and one was an ace. How do you cope and rationalize this tragedy, and how do you allow it change your life, will it be for the better, or... ?
by Daniel Abraham
This has been on my list for years, thanks to the Wild Cards World site, I was able to purchase and read this Wild Card Story. Daniel Abraham has built a legacy in stories with his co author on the James S A Corey series, Expanse, but his first start was in these Wild Cards comic books. I love the Wild Cards and this comic not only links the series back to its originators love (George R R Martin loves comic books) but also continues the story. What would happen if the Trump virus landed in notorious hands? What the fans will love is The Sleeper Croyd Crenson is featured in another of his ace personas and his powers are amazing. The main idea of the story is showing the nature of human beings, how they are motivated by their own interpretation of their own role in life. The story goes through the struggle of young high school students in Colorado exposed to the Wild Card virus. How they learn how to cope and understand the tragic nature of the exposure, some died, some turned into jokers, and one was an ace. How do you cope and rationalize this tragedy, and how do you allow it change your life, will it be for the better, or... ?
December 2, 2018
Shout out to r/fantasy and the book bingo reading challenge. I am trying to fill squares right now and I don't think I would have read this otherwise. I borrowed this graphic novel using the Libby app on my phone and I discovered that reading them on your phone is way cooler than I thought. The guided cinematic view switching between pictures and dialogue boxes is well done. Without that feature I do not think I would have enjoyed this reading experience nearly as much.
The story here is tightly plotted and the cliff hanger chapter endings are great to keep you blazing through this novel. This was my first entry into the Wild Cards world and it was intriguing. The story itself is a bit out of my usual readings as well as, so it wasn't just the format that was new for me.
The constant card themes are used well. The different super powers people have in this story are largely interesting and different. The detective story on top of it is the real draw for me though. It brings in the over arching story and allows for that cohesive tightly plotted story I mentioned before. While this wasn't good enough for me to be interested in more Wild Cards stories I think i will try more graphic novels in the future.
The story here is tightly plotted and the cliff hanger chapter endings are great to keep you blazing through this novel. This was my first entry into the Wild Cards world and it was intriguing. The story itself is a bit out of my usual readings as well as, so it wasn't just the format that was new for me.
The constant card themes are used well. The different super powers people have in this story are largely interesting and different. The detective story on top of it is the real draw for me though. It brings in the over arching story and allows for that cohesive tightly plotted story I mentioned before. While this wasn't good enough for me to be interested in more Wild Cards stories I think i will try more graphic novels in the future.
May 9, 2019
Wait? What is happening here? I’ve never even heard of this Wild Cards book and it’s confusing as f**k!
So a virus happened and turned people into playing cards? The Jokers were the rejects? Some people became Aces? Huh? None of this makes sense.
The inside jacket of this books says it will enchant both new and old readers. Let me tell you, it certainly won’t enchant you if you’ve never read any of Wild Cards series cause it’s quite a mess, definitely not something you can just pick up and read.
So a virus happened and turned people into playing cards? The Jokers were the rejects? Some people became Aces? Huh? None of this makes sense.
The inside jacket of this books says it will enchant both new and old readers. Let me tell you, it certainly won’t enchant you if you’ve never read any of Wild Cards series cause it’s quite a mess, definitely not something you can just pick up and read.
July 5, 2019
Having only read the prose versions of the Wild Car universe, this was an interesting variation and a very good story. Having a little background of the series helps but it’s still pretty good even if you didn’t. I liked the characters and it was cool to see things that just were in my imagination actually in comic form.
July 9, 2018
This is an interesting graphic novel, it’s made with the creativity of George R.R. Martin, has a classic villain, contains crime noir details, and feels like 90s style art. But it’s no Game of Thrones.
April 13, 2020
I loved this! I was pretty sad to find this was the only Wild Cards graphic novel, because I went looking as soon as I finished this one! I love the Wild Card series and can't wait to see more graphic editions.
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November 16, 2023A good continuation
A faithful representation of the spirit of the novels. I THINK. I haven't read all the source material -- just got into it -- but it seems to be in line with the original vision.
A faithful representation of the spirit of the novels. I THINK. I haven't read all the source material -- just got into it -- but it seems to be in line with the original vision.
August 11, 2018
Interesting, but not the best of the series. Still, a good Croyd story is always welcome.
July 30, 2019
Great for fans of Sandman, if a little more violent. I love all the weird character designs.
August 31, 2019
2.5 stars at best.
September 20, 2019
Boring. Wanted to throw it out of the window several times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2020
See review of Issue #1
January 10, 2021
the first wildcards story I've read and pretty good.
April 27, 2021
It's a pretty good Wild Cards story when we consider only the script. Unfortunately, the art is pretty bad. Poor layouts and terrible choice of palette.
July 1, 2020
I’ve only read the first of the novels on which this comic was based and felt the same way about both — they are very dense and somewhat hard to get into on a personal level. I don’t feel enough buy-in as a reader as I’d like, so the ultimate value is greatly reduced. I need *more*
February 26, 2017
Maybe more like three and a half, but this was a fun little diversion set in a universe from a series of novels where an alien virus gives a small handful of random people superpowers, mutates more into weird-looking freaks, and violently kills the majority of its victims. The series follows two "Aces," longtime Ace the Sleeper who gains new powers and appearance every time he wakes up, and Alex, a kid who just survived a fresh outbreak at his high school. Both of them are looking into separate cases that they only gradually learn is the same case. Not bad, but may work better for fans of the original series.
February 28, 2017
This is an interesting story and it plays out well. I'm not really sure why the premise is that Aces are "good", when apparently the most famous one is a wanted criminal. Still it was interesting to see the kind of mutations that are created.
February 11, 2017
English text follows:
Τούτ' είν' η πρώτη ιστορία απ' το σύμπαν των "Άγριων Καρτών" που διάβασα κι ομολογώ ότι την βρήκα αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα, ώστε να προσπαθήσω στο μέλλον να διαβάσω τόσο τα σχετικά βιβλία του Μάρτιν, όσο και τα υπόλοιπα γκράφικ νόβελ.
Η ιδέα ενός ιού που μεταλλάσσει τους ανθρώπους, δίνοντάς τους ιδιότητες που τους ταξινομούν σε ομάδες ονοματισμένες απ' τα φύλλα της τράπουλας (οι "Άσοι" με υπερδυνάμεις, αλλά "φυσιολογικοί" σε εμφάνισι, οι "Τζόκερ" παραμορφωμένοι, για παράδειγμα), είναι ιδιαίτερα εμπνευσμένη!
Είναι αλήθεια πως σε κάποια σημεία η συγκεκριμένη ιστορία είναι λίγο τετριμμένη και προβλέψιμη, αλλά το σχέδιο είναι εξαιρετικό κι η όλη αίσθησι πολύ θετική. Πιστεύω, μ' άλλα λόγια, πως είναι μια καλή εισαγωγή στον κόσμο των "Άγριων Καρτών"!
This is the first story from the "Wild Cards" universe that I've ever read, and I admit that I've found it a very interesting one, so as to try in the future to read both the relevant books by Martin and the rest of the graphic novels.
The concept of a virus that transmutes humans, giving them characteristics which classify them in groups named by the faces of the (traditional) playing cards (for instance, "Aces" have superpowers, but remain "normal" in appearance, "Jokers" have deformities), is a particularly inspired one!
It's true that some points of this specific story are somehow trite and predictable, but the design is excellent, and the whole feeling very positive; in other words, I believe it's a good introduction to the world of the "Wild Cards"!
Τούτ' είν' η πρώτη ιστορία απ' το σύμπαν των "Άγριων Καρτών" που διάβασα κι ομολογώ ότι την βρήκα αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα, ώστε να προσπαθήσω στο μέλλον να διαβάσω τόσο τα σχετικά βιβλία του Μάρτιν, όσο και τα υπόλοιπα γκράφικ νόβελ.
Η ιδέα ενός ιού που μεταλλάσσει τους ανθρώπους, δίνοντάς τους ιδιότητες που τους ταξινομούν σε ομάδες ονοματισμένες απ' τα φύλλα της τράπουλας (οι "Άσοι" με υπερδυνάμεις, αλλά "φυσιολογικοί" σε εμφάνισι, οι "Τζόκερ" παραμορφωμένοι, για παράδειγμα), είναι ιδιαίτερα εμπνευσμένη!
Είναι αλήθεια πως σε κάποια σημεία η συγκεκριμένη ιστορία είναι λίγο τετριμμένη και προβλέψιμη, αλλά το σχέδιο είναι εξαιρετικό κι η όλη αίσθησι πολύ θετική. Πιστεύω, μ' άλλα λόγια, πως είναι μια καλή εισαγωγή στον κόσμο των "Άγριων Καρτών"!
This is the first story from the "Wild Cards" universe that I've ever read, and I admit that I've found it a very interesting one, so as to try in the future to read both the relevant books by Martin and the rest of the graphic novels.
The concept of a virus that transmutes humans, giving them characteristics which classify them in groups named by the faces of the (traditional) playing cards (for instance, "Aces" have superpowers, but remain "normal" in appearance, "Jokers" have deformities), is a particularly inspired one!
It's true that some points of this specific story are somehow trite and predictable, but the design is excellent, and the whole feeling very positive; in other words, I believe it's a good introduction to the world of the "Wild Cards"!
September 25, 2015
This review will be a little biased, because I've got a soft spot for the Wild Card series and an even softer one for one of the main characters - Croyd. And the latter happens to play a big part in this volume.
The illustrator; Eric Battle, has a classic style that's perfect for this tale - expressive and just a little rough around the edges. Combined with the soft color scheme, he really knew how to bring Jokertown to life. It's a place of fantastic horror and he draws it right as I imagined it when reading the novels.
One point of criticism, though; his portrayal of Kira is not consistent at all and her head looks different in pretty much every chapter.
There are a lot of action scenes and thus little time to give the many characters some decent character development, and especially the main protagonist feels a little flat. But I'm willing to forgive that, because like I already said; there are a lot of characters, including some that already popped up in the Wild Card novels, and it was a lot of fun to discover where they fit in this comic and what their roles would be.
Would recommend this to both comic-lovers and Wild Card fans alike!
The illustrator; Eric Battle, has a classic style that's perfect for this tale - expressive and just a little rough around the edges. Combined with the soft color scheme, he really knew how to bring Jokertown to life. It's a place of fantastic horror and he draws it right as I imagined it when reading the novels.
One point of criticism, though; his portrayal of Kira is not consistent at all and her head looks different in pretty much every chapter.
There are a lot of action scenes and thus little time to give the many characters some decent character development, and especially the main protagonist feels a little flat. But I'm willing to forgive that, because like I already said; there are a lot of characters, including some that already popped up in the Wild Card novels, and it was a lot of fun to discover where they fit in this comic and what their roles would be.
Would recommend this to both comic-lovers and Wild Card fans alike!
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