Archie’s October solicitations brings us our first look at Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar, a new series arriving this fall about the rise of one of history’s most mythologized pirates.
If you’re scratching your head and asking yourself, “Archie Comics?” I just want to note that isn’t a typo — the home of Archie Andrews and friends is doing a comic outside their traditional Riverdale universe and sans any Jugheads or Veronicas. Which is different from what we might expect from them, but it’s not unheard of, as they once published Sonic the Hedgehog.
This one is actually a partnership between Archie Comics and Shaquille O’Neal, the basketball Hall of Famer, business mogul and insurance spokesperson. Eisner-nominated writer Stephanie Williams is writing the series, with art from Ray-Anthony Height and Studio Sky-Tiger. Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris and Matthew Gross of O’Neal’s Jersey Legends Productions/Authentic Studios are overseeing the project.
Here’s a look at Height’s cover for the project:
“Growing up, I always loved stories about warriors who refused to quit,” said O’Neal. “Black Caesar starts as a king, loses everything, and takes his freedom back on his own terms. That’s the kind of story I want to help tell. We built something that’s going to entertain you and make you think. I’m ready for the world to see what we created with Archie Comics, an iconic brand I have been a big fan of for many years. Archie has such an incredible legacy of storytelling, and being able to collaborate with a brand that has meant so much to generations of fans made this project even more exciting for me.”
If you aren’t familiar with the story of Black Caesar, he was an African tribal war chieftain in the early 1700s who was tricked to board a slave ship, but escaped as the ship faced a hurricane off the coast of Florida. He went on to become a pirate, and legend has it he served with Blackbeard on the Queen Anne’s Revenge. But what’s actually fact and fiction is likely up for debate, as these legends go.
The comic will kick off with a story set during Black Caesar’s time in Africa:
In this powerful first issue, Black Caesar (originally known as Musa) rules as king in West Africa. He is a giant of a man, nearly seven feet tall with a warrior-athlete’s build. His exceptional size, charisma, and strategic brilliance have made him legendary among West African kingdoms; they’ve also made him a target for those who want to enslave him. When Captain Maynard, a slave ship captain, launches an assault during a festival and captures Musa’s betrothed, Princess Adanna, in the process, Musa must not jut fight for his love, but for the freedom and safety of everyone in his kingdom.
“We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with Shaquille O’Neal and Authentic Studios for this new, one-of-a-kind project,” said Archie CEO Jon Goldwater. “Shaq is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but a superstar on and off the court as a sports analyst, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and overall celebrity. A partnership between two pop culture icons like Shaq and Archie is one for the ages. This project brings forth excellence in storytelling like only Archie can provide, with the expert guidance of Shaq and his team; it’s sure to be the comic event of the year.”
Here’s a look at the first issue’s variant covers by Jamal Igle and Matt Talbot, as well as a black-and-white variant of Height’s cover:
The first issue will arrive in stores Oct. 7.