hizzy Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 (edited) Check this out! Dynamite has announced as part of their partnership with Atari, they’re launching a new line of comics based on Atari’s library of game titles. Kicking off the first new Atari comic series since the 1980s is Swordquest by Chad Bowers, Chris Sims andScott Kowalchuk. Swordquest, based on the series of games released in 1982-83, tells the story of Peter Case, a boy on a quest… the quest to win the prizes from Atari’s Swordquestchallenge! He was counting down the days to the release of the final game, AirWorld, only to be shattered when the news surfaced that it would never be released. Now Peter is an adult… and things aren’t going well. The bad news is he has to move back in with his mother. The good news is she still has all of his old Atari stuff. With nothing else to look forward to, his obsession with Swordquest is reignited, in a more daring — and fantastic — way! Swordquest was unique in that it was a four part games series that offered a contest with prizes up to $150,000 and each game included a comic that provided the clues needed to win. The comics were produced by DC Comics, written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway and drawn by George Perez and Dick Giordano. The fist two parts, Earthworld and Fireworld came out in wide release, but the third part, Waterworld, was in limited release. Airworld was never released at all. The first two prizes were award, but not the last two or the grand prize. Interesting that this is where the first comic chooses to focus. Swordquest #0 will be solicited in the March 2017 Previews catalog and slated for release in May. Edited February 20, 2017 by hizzy 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Exciting news, but I am left to wonder how exciting a comic book about a guy playing a video game can be. I am assume that he is somehow transported into the world of the game (or terrorists attack him while he's playing the game on his Flashback portable and he must solve the games on the run...) If it is the former, I wonder if we get Torr and Tarra back in action? I like that cover. Dynamite has a history of taking on nostalgia projects like this and usually they put out a decent product. Let's hope they score with this one! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrekMD Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Interesting. Will have to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hizzy Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Would this be Tor & Terra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Oh my Crom...the variant covers... it's nice when my comic collecting and video game collecting intersect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Would almost have to be, wouldn't it? Interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atari_Warlord Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I rarely buy comic books, but will definitely pick this up. Hopefully they attempt some kind of Air World scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hizzy Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 I hope some homebrews come out of this. Dynamite is the same publisher that put out Art Of Atari, no? Maybe we'll see some new games based on the books on the next flashback?? *fingers crossed* 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Dynamite targets licensing existing IPs, and I've been buying their releases of Battlestar Galactica and Red Sonja - primarily the latter as an extension of my Conan collecting. They do have a penchant for going a little nuts with variant covers. I know a lot of us use the internet to aid our collecting, but I would encourage those interested in this comic to consider supporting their local comic shop (LCS) in getting a copy (or copies). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hizzy Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Here's another article: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/02/20/swordquest-lesson-poor-planning-returns-comic-book-storyline/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAA177 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I will take the other side of this and say that I think the storyline is actually a very good one. This obviously is a play for Atari and Dynamite to turn this into a movie or streaming series, and the way it is done taps into the aforementioned nostalgia very effectively (I myself have been thinking of movie ideas based on Atari, and may post some here later; I think actually the Atari Age community could be instrumental in coming up with its own project and getting it funded, but perhaps more on that later). But I understand StanJr's concern, it is a good point; I would hope the character wouldn't be transported into another world and this would simply be about Atari and the old generation of video games...if it became a film, I would see it as an indie drama, or if another route were taken, a Seth Rogen-type comedy (then again, admittedly, you would have to consider a fantastic element if he were in it). What I would love to see is Dynamite and Atari re-release the original Swordquest games (in actual boxes with actual instructions printed on the same paper stock, and with a reprint of the first Atari catalog, again on original paper) and then produce Air World as a way of promoting the comic book. The latter would not be as an updated console game, but literally as an Atari 2600 game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I actually prefer the idea of a comic about a "real" person over new Torr and Terra adventures (but I've never been much of a sword and sorcery fan anyway). You could get into his original obsession with the game and how he's revisiting it now to avoid dealing with disappointment in real life. Or you could have the wacky adventures of him trying to track down the missing prizes and meeting crazy characters along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I hear both of you, but you are going to have to work really hard to make that an interesting story on the four color page. Might play great as a retro documentary, but at 22 pages a month, something interesting better be going on beyond some middle aged guy mooning over his old games (I can get plenty of that in the mirror at home). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 (edited) I agree that there needs to be more to it than a guy sitting in his childhood bedroom playing video games, but if that something is him getting sucked Captain N style into video game land, I don't think I'll be buying it. Edited February 22, 2017 by KaeruYojimbo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) Prediction: it'll be a riff on the whole "Last Starfighter" idea. Plays the 2600 game. Wins it. Now as the ultimate Swordquest Warrior, gets sucked into some alternate dimension where he has to help Torr/Tarra do whatever it was they were supposed to do in the original games. Wins the day and gets the golden chalice. Can finally afford to move out of his mom's basement. Bonus points if they manage to work Tod Frye in there somehow. Edited February 24, 2017 by Nathan Strum 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Here's some more info on the project (from the back pages of Red Sonja #3): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 And the main cover with 3 variants: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOX2600 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Looks awesome, This really makes me want to get my hands on the originals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Anyone have any idea when this will hit the stands? I'm in for sure! EDIT: Found some more info about this... ON SALE DATE: 6/21 The Atari Age returns to comics with the most unexpected story of the year: SwordQuest! In 1984, Peter Case was on his way to being crowned champion of SwordQuest, set to win the last of four contests and lay claim to a golden sword worth over $50,000! But when the game was discontinued, Peter found himself without a game to finish. Now, over thirty years later, Peter's stuck in a different kind of game entirely -- the game of life, and he's losing fast. But when he learns that all the prizes meant for the SwordQuest contest of his youth are on display in the World Arcade Museum, he finds an unknown determination that sees him put together a team of like-minded losers for the ultimate heist job -- a real-life sword quest! The red-hot team of Chris Sims, Chad Bowers, and Ghostwriter X (Down Set Fight) have a new game -- and the stakes have never been higher! So it sounds like the story is actually about these guys trying to steal the Swordquest prizes years after the fact. Could work. Also it looks like there are even more variant covers including one that looks like the actual Atari 2600 box!! Yes please! https://dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C725130259837 This site has a first look at the art. Hmmmmm... https://www.previewsworld.com/Article/192382-Dynamite-First-Look-Swordquest-0 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Also it looks like there are even more variant covers including one that looks like the actual Atari 2600 box!! Yes please! https://dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C725130259837 Dynamite is notorious for multiple covers to their titles. It boosts sales, sure, and they are not the only company that does this, but it has gotten out of control in the industry IMHO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Dynamite is notorious for multiple covers to their titles. It boosts sales, sure, and they are not the only company that does this, but it has gotten out of control in the industry IMHO. I agree about the variants, I remember seeing the variants when the Star Wars titles launched a year or two ago (Leia, Darth Vader, etc...). It seemed like there must have been a dozen #1 variants for each individual title, and the main Star Wars comic had like 100 variants! LOL That said, I did go to my local comic shop today and pre-ordered the Swordquest #1 with the Atari 2600 box variant cover!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain King Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 I just picked up mine today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 How was it? Won't get my copy until tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 My local shop didn't carry it. I'm heading up to Blue Ridge tomorrow and I can hopefully get issue 0 there. Curious what the opinion is so far?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Just read issue 0 and overall I liked it. It's just introducing the characters and setting up the story, but I like the direction it's going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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