The rich lord over a walled Manhattan in new graphic novel

"Bleed 2039" pits the proletariat against the megarich

From left: Cover and a page of "Bleed 2039" by Alan James Edwards and Abdul Rashid
From left: Cover and a page of "Bleed 2039" by Alan James Edwards and Abdul Rashid

A new graphic novel set in 2039 presents a dark, dystopian vision of a future New York… or, depending on one’s view, an agreeable one.

“Bleed 2039,” the first book in a series by writer Alan James Edwards and illustrator Abdul Rashid, depicts New York as a gated community controlled by the rich in the aftermath of an economic disaster.

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In the author’s vision, New York’s elite build walls around Manhattan, prohibit the sale of cigarettes and force the lowly proletarians to use a pass called a “Exeat” to enter and exit. But all is not lost for the masses, as they discover a more fulfilling life in the absence of modern amenities and technology. Where? Upstate, of course.

The neo-noir sci-fi novel, which opens the four-book Bleed series, debuted at New York Comic Con in October. A Kickstarter campaign to publish the series has received $890 from 20 donors. The project goal is to raise $10,000 by Aug. 11. — Ariel Stulberg