IDW Publishing has announced the July publication of an original historical non-fiction graphic novel, the Secret Battles of Genghis Khan written by novelist Daryl Gregory (The Devil’s Alphabet, Pandemonium) with art by Alan Robinson (Weekly World News) and Jay Fotos (Locke & Key).  Sam Shearon will provide the painted cover for the 104-page full color graphic novel, which will have a cover price of $21.99.

 

Long considered one of the greatest military commanders and tactician of all time, Genghis Khan remains a shadowy figure to modern audiences.  Gregory’s task was to determine the key battles that allowed Khan and his Mongol horsemen to expand his Empire to include most of Asia, while putting a human face on a figure whose image has come down through history largely through the accounts of his enemies.

 

One of the many strengths of the comics medium is its ability to make history come alive, to recreate far more cheaply than any movie authentic views of past civilizations.  Though far from unknown here in the U.S., historical non-fiction comics are clearly more prevalent and popular Europe and Japan, but the historic battles of Genghis Khan are desperate struggles filled with the kind epic sweep and kinetic energy that could prove interesting to fairly wide swath of the American comic-reading public.