Frank Miller's 300 sequel, Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander, finally gets a release date. After being teased for several years, Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander, the long-awaited follow-up to the book that many consider writer/artist Frank Miller's magnum opus has been given an official release date by publisher Dark Horse Comics.
Based upon the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus and drawing inspiration from the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, Frank Miller's 300 told the tale of the Battle of Thermopylae from the perspective of the Greek soldiers facing an invasion of their country by the Persian Empire. Despite being derided by some critics for its historical inaccuracy, 300 won three Eisner Awards in 1998 including Best Limited Series, Best Writer/Artist and Best Colorist. The mini-series later saw adaptation into a feature-length film by director Zack Snyder, which Miller worked upon along with a prequel film, 300: Rise Of An Empire.
Related: Frank Miller Likes Modern Superhero Films
Dark Horse Comics announced the sequel in a press-release on Tuesday. The press release also included an image of the first issue's cover, which depicts the Persian emperor Xerxes standing before a great fire.
The plot of Xeres will focus upon the titular king, as he attempts to avenge the failures of his father, the Persian Emperor Darius, and build an empire the likes of which the world has never seen. This will bring Xeres into conflict with Alexander The Third of Macedon - a Greek warrior-king who has plans to forge his own empire on the ruins of Persia.
Miller will be providing the script and artwork, with frequent collaborator Alex Sinclair providing the color art for all five issues of the mini-series. Sinclair also acted as the colorist on Miller's most recent work at DC Comics, Dark Knight III - The Master Race. Each issue will be printed with over thirty pages. Dark Horse Comics has also confirmed a special "deluxe collector format" edition of the book, which will feature wrap-around covers.
It remains to be seen how much interest there will be in Xeres. A polarizing figure, Miller's most recent comic book works have proven better at generating controversy than positive press. His anti-terrorism story Holy Terror was critically panned, and considered by most to be more "anti-Muslim" than "anti-terrorism." Miller himself described the work as "naked propaganda" presented "without apology." Given many of the complaints that 300 saw regarding its portrayal of non-Western cultures, it seems unlikely this sequel will prove any less controversial.
More: Zack Snyder Wants to Take 300 Sequels Beyond Ancient Greece
Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander #1 will invade comic stores on April 4, 2018. It will retail for $4.99 and will be available for pre-order at the end of January.
Source: Dark Horse Comics
