Atari and IDW Publishing Unite for Yars Rising 32-Page Comic

New York, NY (October 4, 2024) — Today, Atari and renowned comic publisher IDW Publishing have announced a partnership to release an official single-issue companion comic book set in the world of Yars Rising, Atari’s and developer WayForward’s newest entry in the decades-spanning Yars universe. The 32-page comic acts as a prequel to the events of the game, and will be available online and in traditional comic book retail stores on November 13 for $4.99.

Yars Rising is the latest offering in a 40-year-old video game franchise that began in 1982 with the release of Yars’ Revengefor the Atari 2600 home console. In an industry first, Atari paired the game cartridge at retail with a comic book. The comic gave players a view into the expansive backstory behind the 8-bit game and set the stage for their on-screen campaign.

Written by WayForward Game Director Adam Tierney, Yars Rising #1 acts as a prequel to an entirely new Yars story that unfolds within the video game. The comic follows the lead character, professional hacker Emi Kimura, as she and her friends try to navigate the ramifications of a job gone horribly wrong. As the story progresses, readers are given a taste and perhaps some subtle hints about what awaits them in the game.

Yars Rising #1 comic features the creative talents of artists Ele Bruni (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tea Time, Space Opera), Ashleigh Hetrick (Art Director, WayForward), and Aurora Maeno.

Yars Rising is now available worldwide on PC via Steam and Epic Games, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Atari VCS.