It is post-9/11 America, and young contractor Sam Castillo returns from a business trip to the Middle East mere days before a terrorist attack is thwarted in New York. He thinks nothing of it, focused on his blooming career and the love of his life to whom he’s about to propose.
But then, without explanation, he is abducted by political forces and thrown into a distant prison for a crime he had nothing to do with. There, he meets a mysterious mentor who teaches him the secrets of survival, escape, and revenge.
This is the world of MONTE CRISTO, a contemporary tale of elegant revenge written by Jordan Mechner, the creator of the renowned Prince of Persia video game franchise, and illustrated by Mario Alberti, revising the classic tale The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Written by video game pioneer JORDAN MECHNER (creator of PRINCE OF PERSIA)
Jordan Mechner is an American video game designer, graphic novelist, and screenwriter, best known as the creator of PRINCE OF PERSIA, and as a pioneer of cinematic storytelling in the video game industry. His other games include KARATEKA, THE LAST EXPRESS, and PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME. He became the first game creator to adapt his own work as a feature film screenwriter with Disney’s PRINCE OF PERSIA (2010). The Prince of Persia franchise has spawned over a dozen spinoffs and sequels on over 40 different platforms, selling over 20 million copies worldwide. The latest hit, PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE LOST CROWN, was released on PS4/5, XBox One/X/S, and Nintendo Switch this January to glowing reviews.
Jordan has written several graphic novels in collaboration with various illustrators, including TEMPLAR, MONTE CRISTO, and LIBERTY. His latest work, REPLAY, a graphic novel memoir that interweaves his life as a game developer with his family history in Europe during WW2, was awarded the 2023 Chateau de Cheverny graphic novel prize.
After nearly 20 years in a remote island military prison, Sam is given a code by his ailing mentor that turns out to be worth billions in secret account balances — enough to live a life despite the past or one that confronts the injustices that put him in a hole head-on. Sam chooses the latter. But if he learned anything in prison, it was how to assemble a plan worth executing, no matter how long it may take.
Gifted a secret account number by a fellow inmate with no hope of leaving the island, Sam uses this untraceable windfall to finance a plot that may take years to assemble, but one he has dreamt of since wasting away in a cel…
With a cast of political jockeys and cavalier profiteers, the system will become not only the arena but the jaws of the trap itself…
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED-EDITIONS
DIECUT EDITION WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE IN THIS CAMPAIGN!
Exclusive to this campaign! Not available at retail!
For the ultimate experience, the campaign-exclusive “Executive Revenge” bundles will include the Limited Diecut Edition along with an assortment of artifacts every vengeful billionaire needs:
– a foil-stamped Pocket Notebook with pencil for those notes that must stay private
– a metal business card (that makes a classy bookmark)
– and a silver MONTE CRISTO logo lapel pin to let those who know nod with approval.
Plus Jordan's personal development diaries and signed bookplates
Illustrator Mario Alberti is an Italian comic book artist and writer who has worked on various series in Italy, France, and the USA. He was born on May 7, 1965, and graduated in Economics with a thesis on distribution in the comics market. He started his professional career in 1990 with a short story published in Fumo di China. He joined Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1993 and worked on NATHAN NEVER and LEGS WEAVER, winning the Albertarelli prize in 1994. He also teamed up with Kurt Busiek to create REDHAND, a series developed for Humanoids. He has illustrated covers for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and most recently illustrated THE WALL and portions of BLACK BOX CHRONICLES for Magnetic Press.
