Indie comics publisher Vault Comics is tackling an adaptation of The Roach, a novel from ebook and audiobook publisher Aethon.
The graphic novel adaptation of the novel is part of a partnership that the two companies inked last year. Aethon is to publish ebook and audiobook versions of select Vault titles, while the Montana-based publisher will give the comics treatment to select Aethon titles.
Roach had a leg (or six) up on the process, as the novel was written by Rhett C. Bruno, Aethon’s CEO.
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But the book was no mere vanity project. The story of a vigilante hero permanently disabled in a gunfight, who finds himself once again called upon to protect his city, Roach received multiple awards including the 2020 Independent Audiobook Award Winner for best thriller/suspense and the 2020 Best Indie Book Award for action/adventure. Bruno was a Nebula Award-nominated writer when he launched the sci-fi-centric banner in 2018, and the company has since grown into a publisher of best-sellers in the genre fields.
Bruno and Vault, which is known for its Barbaric comic franchise and other fantasy and horror titles, will work closely with actor, athlete and disability advocate Kurt Yaeger to ensure they bring authenticity and care to the graphic novel’s representation of the titular disabled hero.
“We rarely publish work in the superhero genre at Vault. When we do, we look for something that redefines what you can expect from a superhero book, and pushes the limits of the genre. The Roach does both,” said Vault CEO Damian Wassel in a statement. “We’re extremely excited to work with Rhett and Kurt Yaeger to bring this superhero story back home to comics.”
Publication plans and a creative team have not yet been announced.
Meanwhile, Roach, which is available on Audible, in ebook formats from Aethon Books, and in print from Blackstone Publishing, is currently under option and in development as an episodic series with Sony Television.
