What is it with all the videogame comic books lately? Gears of War, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Prototype, the list goes on and on. Now Square Enix has joined the party with NIER, yet another game to be turned into ink by the game-friendly chaps at DC Comics.
NIER is being turned into a three-issue backstory series that will delve deeper in the lives of Nier, Yonah, Kaine and Grimoire. It seems that the comics will be available in online format, as they are said to be available via Nier’s official Web site, Xbox Live and PSN.
The comics will run between “now” and April 27, when the game itself launches.
LOS ANGELES (March 17, 2010) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, is partnering with DC Comics imprint Wildstorm to create a custom comic series that will explore the rich and mysterious back story of the upcoming Action-RPG NIER™. NIER, whose unique content, characters and hidden, twisting storyline has transfixed gamers and media alike for months, will be available for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft at North American retail outlets on April 27, 2010.
“We are extremely excited to partner with the storytellers at DC Comics to further explore the complex tale of NIER; to explore its unusual characters; and, to introduce new fans to a storyline that will challenge what they know from beginning to end,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “NIER is a game that paints a sophisticated and graphic picture of the despair resulting from an apocalyptic plague and the triumph of a father’s will to protect his most prized possession, his daughter. DC Comics’ ability to create colorful and engaging comics will help deliver NIER’s unusual story to gamers and prepare them for what lies ahead in the game. By exploring the comics, gamers will understand the basis of Nier’s world before they even pick up a sword or cast a spell.”
The NIER comics will be available on the game’s official Web site at http://www.NIERGame.com, on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and on PlayStation®Store for PlayStation3 between now and April 27. The comics will reveal tantalizing clues about key characters from the game, including the title-character Nier; his disease-stricken daughter, Yonah; a conflicted and foul-mouthed fighting companion, Kainé; and, the talking book with an attitude, Grimoire Weiss. In addition, the NIER comics will address questions that have yet to be answered, namely, what sequence of events led to the fall of humanity? How was the deadly disease, The Black Scrawl, introduced to the earth? And, where did the terrifying Shades come from and why do they torment the few remaining survivors?
There will be three NIER comics in all, each telling a unique, yet overlapping story. The comics are being created by some of DC Comics’ most renowned creators and illustrators, including Emmy-winning creator and executive producer Ricardo Sanchez; Pop Mhan, whose work has appeared on everything from Spider-Man and Ghost Rider at Marvel Comics to Batgirl and The Flash at DC Comics; Eddie Nuñez, who works on the soon-to-be released DC Universe MMO; and, Carlos D’Anda, who has worked on notable comic book titles such as Justice League of America, Deathblow, and Lego’s Bionice, was the lead Character Designer on the bestselling Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Arkham Asylum and is the Lead concept Artist on the DC Universe MMO from Sony Online Entertainment.
