A RELENTLESS, NO-HOLDS-BARRED THRILLER THAT EXPOSES
THE COST OF A BROKEN SYSTEM
Arriving June 18, the Hard-Hitting, High-Stakes Series,
Which Follows Three Black Women Who Take Justice Into Their Own Hands,
Posing Questions About Inequality, Morality, and the Price of Revenge
Cover Art by Rahzzah
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 20, 2025 – “No matter how many times you’ve seen it before, a little corner of your soul tells you, Not this time. This time’s going to be different, you’ll see. F*ck that corner.”
Equity. Vengeance. Consequence. They say justice is blind, but what happens when it turns a blind eye?Artists Writers and Artisans (AWA)—renowned for crafting bold, original tales—today announced THEY CHOOSE VIOLENCE, a razor-sharp, unflinching new crime thriller from writer Sheldon Allen (SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED, CRUCIFIED) and artist Mauricio Campetella (CRUCIFIED). Hitting shelves on June 18, this dark but gripping five-issue series dares to ask the hardest questions about justice, vengeance, and the dangerous allure of fighting fire with fire.
THEY CHOOSE VIOLENCE follows Laneka, Deidre, and Karen, three Black HBCU friends turned accomplished professionals who band together to form a vigilante squad that targets White Supremacists deemed to have circumvented the justice system and gotten away with protected murder. Serving up grisly justice in increasingly creative ways, the vigilante posse becomes cult heroes and front-page news, while always staying one step ahead of the law. It’s effective, it’s cathartic, it’s kinda fun—until they are forced to confront the consequences of their actions—a copycat killer whose signature contains a special message to them—and the line between hero and villain begins to blur.
More than just a revenge story, THEY CHOOSE VIOLENCE is a bold, thought-provoking exploration of power and consequence and a deep dive into the gray areas of morality and today’s justice system. With cutting social commentary wrapped in relentless action, the series asks what happens when the people society pushes to the margins decide to push back. Our protagonists, three powerful and relatable women, reprogram their minds, sculpt their bodies, and learn everything it takes to deliver their justice, but are not fully prepared for the ripple effect of their actions. What happens when you go down the dark, unforgiving road of revenge? What happens when the only path forward is escalation? In a world that often mirrors our own reality, THEY CHOOSE VIOLENCE forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths while delivering pulse-pounding storytelling and powerful artwork.
“This is a story that challenges expectations,” said creator and writer Sheldon Allen. “It’s not about easy answers—it’s about hard questions. I wanted to tell a deeply personal and unflinchingly real story that confronts the effects of racial violence in today’s world. When it comes to revenge and justice, where do we draw the line? And what happens when we cross it? That’s what I want readers to take away from this series.”
Axel Alonso, AWA’s Chief Creative Officer, added, “When you read issue #1, you’ll think you know where this story is going. You do not. This is not a predictable revenge thriller with clear-cut heroes and villains or, for that matter, anti-heroes you can root for with abandon. THEY CHOOSE VIOLENCE crashes through topical issues like a freight train with twists and turns that will put its protagonists through hell and keep readers on the edge of their seats. This isn’t an easy read, but it’s a necessary one—and one that shines a light on the ongoing fight against racial injustice. Through Sheldon’s fearless, deeply resonant writing and Mauricio’s striking artwork, THEY CHOOSE VIOLENCE is bold, unflinching, and impossible to put down.”
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