Comics abound as more franchises turn to print

The trend to convert videogame franchises into comic book form is growing stronger with the announcements overnight by Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard that two more properties will be drawn up and printed.

The Mass Effect: Redemption series will launch on January 6 next year and tell the story between the end of the original videogame and set the scene for its follow-up, while the single issue graphic novel of Singularity will also describe events building up to the game's setting.

The Electronic Arts title spin-off comic series - published by Dark Horse comics - will be written by BioWare's Mac Walters, scripted by John Jackson Miller and drawn by Omar Francia.

"Fans of Mass Effect are going to be pleasantly shocked by the events in these comics," said Walters. "We worked very closely with Dark Horse to make sure this story was built in to the Mass Effect 2 arc, right from the ground up. Reading the series won't just add to your experience of the universe, it will change the way you look at Mass Effect 2... and beyond."

Meanwhile the Singularity novel will be a collaboration between Activision, Twistory Studios and Image Publishing, with David Atchinson, Davide Fabbri, Christopher Morrison and Tom Mandrake working on it.

The Mass Effect and Singularity announcements follow a raft of news stories linking the videogame and comic cook genres, with an increasing level of cross-over in talent taking place.

Representatives from both projects will be on hand at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego for signings.