“Depicts American hellscape in Art.” -Rolling Stone
“The concepts Matt is presenting here are so familiar they should be terrifying.”
-Chuck D, Public Enemy
WHAT IF MILITIAS WERE THE LAW OF THE LAND?
“It’s a genre known as ‘speculative fiction.’ Except that it doesn’t seem as speculative anymore.” -The San Francisco Chronicle
“A new comic book series about a near future army of young vigilantes resisting a paramilitary police state after the Supreme Court rules that militias are constitutionally protected.” -Deadline
“Politically charged… Rogue State explores a worst-case scenario for a politically divided nation: an alternate version of the US that has splintered into a series of paramilitary militia groups, and where a new freedom fighter named Vya of Brightstars emerges to rally a terrified nation.” -IGN
Synopsis: What if a contested Presidential election plunged America into turmoil? What if political violence consumed the streets? And what if a raging Supreme Court, in a strict interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, legitimized and deputized all militias, transforming the entire country into a paramilitary police state?
What if a freedom fighter emerged from the chaos, raised a civilian army, and carved out a territory across the United States?… seizing back stolen land, pushing out police, militias, and National Guard… enforcing its own laws…
Sovereign.
What if Americans refused to be governed?
This speculative-fiction comic book series tells the story of Vya Of Brightstars, a mysterious figure rising from the unrest, and Clara Cruz (she/her), a young professional who becomes activated in Vya’s movement when her fiancée Taylor Sanchez (they/them) is disappeared as militias take over their Mission District neighborhood.
But are Vya and Clara freedom fighters or terrorists?
Either way, their rogue state will not just blaze a path across America, it will also inspire others to raise their own armies… some in solidarity, others in opposition.
ROGUE STATE
created by Matteo Pizzolo & Carlos Granda
written by Matteo Pizzolo
illustrated by Carlos Granda
colored by Brad Simpson
lettered by Jim Campbell
covers by Chuck D, The Wolf Maria, Ramon Villalobos, Jasmin Darnell, Soo Lee, Ashley A Woods
“Writer Matteo Pizzolo, the creator of Calexit and co-founder of Black Mask Studios, is back with a new tale of turmoil, Rogue State… the story of resistance against a Police State.” -ICv2
“Provocative. A big part of building authenticity and depth to the characters and the world of Rogue State comes from C. Granda’s incredible eye for detail and the way he infuses the work with his own experiences and observations… Granda grew up in Medellín-Colombia, where he still lives and runs multiple cultural organizations devoted to supporting comic book creation in Latin America. He was a kid during the Palace of Justice siege when insurgents stormed the Supreme Court and left half the Justices dead. When Granda imagines a comic book world roiled by political violence, there’s a reason it feels so vital and lived-in.“ -Comics Beat
“Rogue State is the new ongoing graphic novel series that marks writer Matteo Pizzolo’s return to comics for his first new series since 2017’s acclaimed Calexit, reuniting with artist C. Granda who drew 2018’s Calexit: San Diego comic book that raised funds for families separated at the US-Mexico border, and Calexit cover artists Soo Lee and Ashley A Woods. A timely title about rebelling against tyranny… In Rogue State, a crew of young vigilantes will rise against an authoritarian state robbing Americans of their rights.” -Bleeding Cool
“Matteo Pizzolo returns to dystopian political thrillers with a new series set in a revolutionary future America… a hyper-extrapolated, sideways glance at some very real-world anxieties.” -io9