I first wrote about this back in 2020 and now the first interactive NFT comic book from LightningWorks with Siege Worlds Zero has launched on the blockchain, which is associated with the DIVI cryptocurrency.
Not only is Siege Worlds Zero the first interactive comic book NFT, but I also believe it’s the first original comic book NFT from an independent publishing company, and second to only DC’s Batman: The Legacy Cowl NFT original comic book (Marvel has also launched NFT comic books but I believe they are just copies of existing comics).
The Siege Worlds Zero NFT comic book is also a first of its kind as again, it’s interactive, and isn’t just a collection of images, as it also connects to the online game of the same name. What makes it unique?
“This interactive comic and 3D game uses blockchain technology in a unique way. It’s a first-person shooter, play-and-earn game that rewards interaction and cooperation with other players. Using NFT tech, players can find ‘Easter eggs’ – hidden clues and secrets inside the comic book to use within the game,” said LightningWorks Founder and President Geoff McCabe in a statement. “These are NFT weapons including a rifle, pistol, and a crossbow that are related specifically to the characters in the story, and will only be available once, by minting this particular comic, or buying from other players on an open market like OpenSea.”
LightningWorks and Siege Worlds NFT comic books feature DC and Marvel artists
The Siege Worlds NFT comic book and others being developed by McCabe’s LightningWorks also happen to feature work done by professional comic book creators including those who have worked for both DC and Marvel.
“We are really excited because this is an industry first with a top-notch team behind it. DC Alfonso, who co-created Avengers Unlimited, has worked on the comics designs,” said Jordan Fiksenbaum, LightningWorks’ CEO who previously was head of marketing for the iconic Cirque du Soleil and who is known for his work on Les Misérables, Disney’s The Lion King, and The Phantom of The Opera.
Additional comic book creators include Stan Yak who has worked on Batman and TMNT; Douglas Franchin who has worked on Avengers and Batman; Giulia Gualazzi who has worked on DC and Marvel; Annapaola Martello who has worked on Silk, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel; Mauricio Vargas who has worked on Marvel and Star Wars; and Ilaria Chiocca, Cameron Stewart, Ario Anindito, Ulises Arreola, Luca Colandra, Ariel Medel, Riz, and Travis Mercer.
The art team also includes DG Franchin, who has drawn pages for X-Men and Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and DG Franchin is the lead artist for LightningWorks’ upcoming Moon-1 NFT comic book series.
Prior to launching, Geoff McCabe also spoke with Dan DiDio who recently was co-publisher at DC Comics and who is launching his own comic book publishing company with the legendary Frank Miller.
“With the comic book industry in trouble and both MARVEL and DC alienating their core fans, we have a new opportunity to bring comics from paper to digital,” said McCabe.
LightningWorks comics are not only animated but INTERACTIVE
What does this mean? 🧵 pic.twitter.com/vH3j7egcXk
— LightningWorks⚡️Siege Worlds Zero Mint LIVE (@LightningWorks7) January 18, 2023
This is one of my favorite features of #lightningworks7 that’s really going to be a game changer #NFTProject #NFTshill https://t.co/nxpZoUfKvE
— Geoff McCabe (@geoffreymccabe) November 23, 2022
Music Department is advised by multiple Grammy Award-winning artist
Not only does LightningWorks feature DC and Marvel artists but its music department is advised by ‘Bassy Bob’ — a winner of multiple Grammy Awards.
“Bassy Bob has produced recordings with a number of legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, Toni Braxton, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, and the Dixie Chicks, and won two Grammy awards for the albums Mi Reflejo (Christina Aguilera) and The Nu Nation Project (Kirk Franklin),” states the announcement from LightningWorks. “Bob cut his teeth with early pioneers of rap like Slick Rick, Grandmaster Flash and LL Cool J. The albums he produced have grossed over $1 billion in sales.”
What is Siege Worlds About?
Siege Worlds tells an engaging story about a mysterious island in which real-world historical heroes who have died are reborn to fight against monsters emerging from the sea, only to be reborn continuously while searching for the meaning of their predicament.
These warriors are based loosely on personages like the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi, the gladiator Flamma, Joan of Arc, and “Bonnie Oakland” as she is called in the game – inspired by the real world Annie Oakley, an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and later inspired the musical “Annie get your gun.”
The comic book tracks the experiences of amateur historian Andrew Phillips who wakes up on a beach following a brutal car accident, to find himself on the Siege Worlds island populated by these legendary warriors and hordes of monsters. Each hero remembers the circumstance of his or her own death, they all speak the same mysterious language, and nobody knows the purpose of their rebirth.
“Our intention is to have the comic book story track alongside new game content, to give players the feeling that they are the heroes in the story in a way that builds community. For three years we’ve been in stealth, building the Web3 and VR/Metaverse tech to make it possible for us to take digital entertainment to new heights,” said McCabe.
The company’s first LightningWorks Portal NFT collection has already sold out in 24 hours this November. Despite the “crypto winter” and a 97-99% drop in global NFT trading volume, the Portal’s value has risen 5 times since then.
McCabe said, “Our Portals will have a new utility never before seen in the NFT space. Ownership guarantees a percentage of all of our future minted comics, with some free and some at 50% off the list price. It’s like owning a Web3 comic book store.”
The NFT Collectibles will be available through the LightningWorks.io website, and after minting, on OpenSea and other global NFT exchanges. The comics harness a unique technology that the company calls “Forging.” Through forging, the comic supply will be continually reduced. Owners can take three comics of any particular tier, and digitally burn them to mint a new one at a rarer tier – a first in the NFT comic book space.
For more information and to play Siege Worlds, visit https://siegeworlds.com/.
To mint your own Siege Worlds Zero interactive comic book head on over to my.lightningworks.io (I recently purchased and had no problems, and my son and his buddies played the game and liked it as they received free DIVI).
LightningWorks tells legendary stories through interactive comic books, NFTs and Web3 gaming. Developed by Geoff McCabe, Co-Founder of top-65 cryptocurrency $DIVI, Games Interactive and Founder of VirtualRealityTimes.com along with Jordan Fiksenbaum, the former head of marketing for Cirque du Soleil, with over $5 Billion in sales, LightningWorks brings comic books to the world of Web3, reviving the industry and empowering its fans to create, play, earn and own through NFTs and blockchain.