Shaquille O’Neal Developing Epic Pirate Comic Book Series With Archie Comics

Shaquille O’Neal, best known for his line of gummy candy and nothing else that I can think of off-hand, is developing what is called an epic pirate series titled Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar for Archie Comics. Yes, that Archie Comics.

“Growing up, I always loved stories about warriors who refused to quit,” O’Neal said via press release. “Black Caesar starts as a king, loses everything, and takes his freedom back on his own terms. That’s the kind of story I want to help tell. We built something that’s going to entertain you and make you think. I’m ready for the world to see what we created with Archie Comics, an iconic brand I have been a big fan of for many years. Archie has such an incredible legacy of storytelling, and being able to collaborate with a brand that has meant so much to generations of fans made this project even more exciting for me”

Now, while that sure is a bunch of words in sequence, there is some other talent behind this. The multiple Eisner-award nominated Stephanie Williams is writing the series, with art by Ray-Anthony Height and Studio Sky-Tiger.

So what is this book, beyond a chance to sell more gummy candy (seriously, if anyone can think of anything else O’Neal has ever done, I’d love to hear it, really drawing a blank here)? Here’s the synopsis, per PR:

Described as a grounded, character-driven pirate epic, the project charts the transformation of an African king from royalty to slavery to a feared outlaw of the Caribbean, blending historical inspiration with cinematic storytelling. The project is positioned as a sprawling, franchise-ready narrative, combining the political complexity of BLACK SAILS, the sweeping scope of VIKINGS, and the character-driven storytelling of SHŌGUN. Insiders say the tone leans “GLADIATOR on the high seas,” with a focus on power, survival, and vengeance.

“We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with Shaquille O’Neal and Authentic Studios for this new, one-of-a-kind project,” Archie’s Jon Goldwater added. “Shaq is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but a superstar on and off the court as a sports analyst, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and overall celebrity. A partnership between two pop culture icons like Shaq and Archie is one for the ages. This project brings forth excellence in storytelling like only Archie can provide, with the expert guidance of Shaq and his team; it’s sure to be the comic event of the year.”

Thus continues a curious year for Archie Comics, which is being reinvented over at Oni Press, while an Archie live-action film is in development at Universal Pictures from producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, written by Tom King, and Riverdale‘s Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is working on an also live-action adaptation of Afterlife With Archie at Disney+ (or perhaps “was,” that property is notably absent from Archie’s press release for this pirate book).

Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar is planned to hit stores later this year. While you wait, why not slam dunk some delicious Shaq Gummies into your mouth? Wait a–

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