Marshawn Lynch Goes Beast Mode with AWA this October

When Oakland calls, Beast Mode answers. Artists Writers & Artisans (AWA) has announced Beast Mode 510, a 120+ page graphic novel conceptualized by AWA Chief Creative Officer Axel Alonso, written by NAACP Image Award-nominated author Sheldon Allen, and inspired and guided by NFL legend and cultural icon Marshawn Lynch. Launching October 6 and set in Oakland, CA, Beast Mode 510 is a mythic, irreverent, and deeply personal love letter to the city that raised Lynch and continues to define the former running back and Super Bowl XLVIII champion. Inspired by Lynch’s larger-than-life persona and backed by the Oakland icon himself, the title transforms the “Beast Mode” mentality into a cinematic new comic book hero rooted in loyalty and community.

Blending stylized action, interconnected mystery, and sharp social satire, Beast Mode 510 channels the just-retribution of The Equalizer with the comedy and social satire of Atlanta, with a healthy dose of West Coast swagger. At its center is Beast Mode: the 510’s legendary fixer and freelance sleuth whose rough exterior hides a code of loyalty and willingness to deal with problems others won’t touch. If you’ve got a problem the authorities won’t handle, Beast Mode will. No invoices. No contracts. Just results.

Written by Sheldon Allen with art by legendary Eisner Hall of Fame artist Denys Cowan, Beast Mode 510 assembles a powerhouse creative team that translates Lynch’s unmistakable presence and Beast Mode mythology into a vivid, kinetic graphic novel epic. The title reimagines the Beast Mode mentality as a bold new storytelling universe rooted in Oakland, grounded in truth and elevated to myth. The book is colored by Chris Sotomayor and inked by Dexter Vines, with cover art from Rahzzah and chapter break art by Ron Ackins.

In Beast Mode 510, Lynch’s legendary “Beast Mode” mentality becomes mythic. Most of the time, Beast Mode is Level One cool: laid back, sharp-minded, enjoying a glass of Hen and a freshly rolled blunt. But faced with enough bother, the dial can turn all the way to Level Six, and an unrestrained force of nature is unleashed. What starts as a super-secret birthday surprise for his mother spirals into a globe-spanning conspiracy involving three missing young women, a Silicon Valley slavery ring, Yakuza assassins, reptilian billionaires, a million-dollar bounty on his head, a world economy-shattering takedown, and so much more. As enemies close in and chaos escalates, Beast Mode must protect his family, defend his city, and confront powerful forces threatening the community he loves.

Beast Mode 510 will be available online and in stores wherever graphic novels are sold on Tuesday, October 6. 

Source: Graphic Policy