The God of War is Summoned
Blockbuster videogame franchises are no strangers to the realm of comic books, but one of the biggest has eluded print and paper... until now.
Today IGN is able to exclusively reveal that Sony and DC/Wildstorm Comics have partnered for a six-issue mini-series based on the God of War franchise. Debuting in October, and running approximately up to the launch of God of War III for the Playstation 3, the storyline will focus on Kratos' dark past. Comics legend Marv Wolfman is handling the writing with Kevin Sharpe on interior art and Andy Park on covers.
We contacted both Sony for more details. The publisher offered the following comment:
"We are thrilled to work with the world's largest comic book publisher to bring one of our most beloved PlayStation franchises, God of War,to comic book fans," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. "As one of the most prominent names in the entertainment and comic book industry, we look forward to working with DC Comics in bringing God of Warto a whole new audience."
In our quest for information on the series itself, we contacted Wolfman via e-mail for first details.
IGN Comics: Marv, how did you come to work on this project? How much exposure to the God of War franchise did you have prior to working on this mini-series?
Marv Wolfman: There have been very few times in my career when I've asked to do a comic. This is one of them.
When I heard a rumor that DC/Wildstorm might be doing God of War, I put in my name right away and kept pushing for it. God of War has been my favorite video game to play, both #1 and #2. Also, I've always loved greek mythology - I brought the Greek Titans into my old Teen Titans comic. Coincidentally, I was in Athens just a few months back for a convention and toured all the old Greek temples.
What I love about the game is it's not just a button masher, but that you go from really imaginative fight scenarios to strong strategy play. I also love the basic concept that the very first image we see in the original game is Kratos trying to commit suicide but the Gods won't let him. We're immediately drawn into his story, so the game is about a character and a mystery rather than just - go fight him.
IGN Comics: In preparing for this, how much of the games have you seen and/or played? Was this a case where you could get the concept down through researching the existing franchise lore, designs and characters? Did seeing the game in action give you a definite sense of where you wanted to head with this project?
Wolfman: I had already played both numbers 1 & 2 before I asked to get the comic so I didn't have to do any research. It's because I loved the game that I wanted to do the comic. I obviously knew what the game was about and, as I say, I loved it. But I was sent copies of the scripts for all the GoW games so I could make sure what I did was as accurate as possible.
When you're playing you're concerned about not dying - at least I am - and I often miss story details. Having the scripts really helps. It also enabled me to read the PSP game as not owning a PSP that's the only GoW game I hadn't played. For gamers out there I have a PS2, PS3, X-Box 360 and a Wii and regularly play games on all of them.
IGN Comics: God of War is a series that is heavily based on action, to put it lightly. When working within a franchise under those parameters, is it difficult to find the core character beats that comic books often need?
Wolfman: As I say the thing that made me a fan of the game is that it's more than just action, although my thumb still hasn't recovered from the end of game 2. GoW is a story about Kratos and other humans being manipulated by the Gods. It's about him and what happens to his wife and daughter and the nightmares that result from that. It's about redemption as well as revenge.
It's high drama and the stuff the Greek myths are made of. That's what I center on in my story, although of course the action is constant. But the core of the story is pure character.
IGN Comics: It's our understanding that the mini-series operates within two timelines, the first of which takes place between the first two games. What can fans expect to see in these segments? Is Kratos largely struggling to be free from his nightmares and be accepted by the Greek gods?
Wolfman: The present day story is firmly set between God of War 1 and 2. The flashback story starts when Kratos is 7 and is brought into the Spartan army, as Spartan children were, and continues to when he is over 30, married, and has to go on a mission to save the life of Calliope, his daughter. Events in the past completely inform the present day story.
As far as Kratos' nightmares go, without giving away too much, the entire present day story is his reaction to what happened in the first game. We don't show the nightmares but they are the reason he's after what he's after. We also get strongly involved with the Barbarian King, seen in games 1 & 2. Kratos' battle with the Barbarian is what causes him to pledge his allegiance to Ares in the first place.
IGN Comics: With God of War III right around the corner, will we be seeing hints and clues to the plot and events in that game?
Wolfman: If I told you, I'd have to have Kratos kill you. Or he'd kill me.
IGN Comics: God of War is well-known for its monsters and vicious battles with gods. Can you give us some hints as to some of the obstacles Kratos will face?
Wolfman: We start with some creatures you've seen before and also introduce some brand new monsters, all based on Greek myths, of course, and move up to man-eating islands, which, once you see it, also ties into Greek mythology, but in a very surprising way. So there's many new characters and creatures as well as some familiar ones.
IGN Comics: Is there anything else you'd like to add about the God of War mini-series at this point?
Wolfman: I've been working very closely with the GoW people at Sony who are directly responsible for the game and we're using the comic to tie in directly to the story they created. This isn't like the standard tie-in comic where we're off in a corner; they are making sure everything works to keep the greater mythology consistent while introducing readers to many brand new ideas. Working with them, we're fleshing out Kratos' story, playing very closely with Kratos' past and filling in a lot of new information along the way.
Today IGN is able to exclusively reveal that Sony and DC/Wildstorm Comics have partnered for a six-issue mini-series based on the God of War franchise. Debuting in October, and running approximately up to the launch of God of War III for the Playstation 3, the storyline will focus on Kratos' dark past. Comics legend Marv Wolfman is handling the writing with Kevin Sharpe on interior art and Andy Park on covers.
We contacted both Sony for more details. The publisher offered the following comment:
"We are thrilled to work with the world's largest comic book publisher to bring one of our most beloved PlayStation franchises, God of War,to comic book fans," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. "As one of the most prominent names in the entertainment and comic book industry, we look forward to working with DC Comics in bringing God of Warto a whole new audience."
In our quest for information on the series itself, we contacted Wolfman via e-mail for first details.
Marv Wolfman: There have been very few times in my career when I've asked to do a comic. This is one of them.
When I heard a rumor that DC/Wildstorm might be doing God of War, I put in my name right away and kept pushing for it. God of War has been my favorite video game to play, both #1 and #2. Also, I've always loved greek mythology - I brought the Greek Titans into my old Teen Titans comic. Coincidentally, I was in Athens just a few months back for a convention and toured all the old Greek temples.
What I love about the game is it's not just a button masher, but that you go from really imaginative fight scenarios to strong strategy play. I also love the basic concept that the very first image we see in the original game is Kratos trying to commit suicide but the Gods won't let him. We're immediately drawn into his story, so the game is about a character and a mystery rather than just - go fight him.
IGN Comics: In preparing for this, how much of the games have you seen and/or played? Was this a case where you could get the concept down through researching the existing franchise lore, designs and characters? Did seeing the game in action give you a definite sense of where you wanted to head with this project?
Wolfman: I had already played both numbers 1 & 2 before I asked to get the comic so I didn't have to do any research. It's because I loved the game that I wanted to do the comic. I obviously knew what the game was about and, as I say, I loved it. But I was sent copies of the scripts for all the GoW games so I could make sure what I did was as accurate as possible.
When you're playing you're concerned about not dying - at least I am - and I often miss story details. Having the scripts really helps. It also enabled me to read the PSP game as not owning a PSP that's the only GoW game I hadn't played. For gamers out there I have a PS2, PS3, X-Box 360 and a Wii and regularly play games on all of them.
IGN Comics: God of War is a series that is heavily based on action, to put it lightly. When working within a franchise under those parameters, is it difficult to find the core character beats that comic books often need?
Wolfman: As I say the thing that made me a fan of the game is that it's more than just action, although my thumb still hasn't recovered from the end of game 2. GoW is a story about Kratos and other humans being manipulated by the Gods. It's about him and what happens to his wife and daughter and the nightmares that result from that. It's about redemption as well as revenge.
It's high drama and the stuff the Greek myths are made of. That's what I center on in my story, although of course the action is constant. But the core of the story is pure character.
Wolfman: The present day story is firmly set between God of War 1 and 2. The flashback story starts when Kratos is 7 and is brought into the Spartan army, as Spartan children were, and continues to when he is over 30, married, and has to go on a mission to save the life of Calliope, his daughter. Events in the past completely inform the present day story.
As far as Kratos' nightmares go, without giving away too much, the entire present day story is his reaction to what happened in the first game. We don't show the nightmares but they are the reason he's after what he's after. We also get strongly involved with the Barbarian King, seen in games 1 & 2. Kratos' battle with the Barbarian is what causes him to pledge his allegiance to Ares in the first place.
IGN Comics: With God of War III right around the corner, will we be seeing hints and clues to the plot and events in that game?
Wolfman: If I told you, I'd have to have Kratos kill you. Or he'd kill me.
IGN Comics: God of War is well-known for its monsters and vicious battles with gods. Can you give us some hints as to some of the obstacles Kratos will face?
Wolfman: We start with some creatures you've seen before and also introduce some brand new monsters, all based on Greek myths, of course, and move up to man-eating islands, which, once you see it, also ties into Greek mythology, but in a very surprising way. So there's many new characters and creatures as well as some familiar ones.
IGN Comics: Is there anything else you'd like to add about the God of War mini-series at this point?
Wolfman: I've been working very closely with the GoW people at Sony who are directly responsible for the game and we're using the comic to tie in directly to the story they created. This isn't like the standard tie-in comic where we're off in a corner; they are making sure everything works to keep the greater mythology consistent while introducing readers to many brand new ideas. Working with them, we're fleshing out Kratos' story, playing very closely with Kratos' past and filling in a lot of new information along the way.
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