International Action Thriller THE SAFEST PLACE COMES from Image & 12 Gauge in May



Birmingham, AL (March 6, 2008) – “CHINATOWN meets BABEL - THE SAFEST PLACE is a hard-edged, modern-day mystery that will pull you across the globe, riding shotgun with a war photographer who's sucked into the world he's only photographed.” – Geoff Johns



There will be no safe place in May when the explosive graphic novel, THE SAFEST PLACE hits the stands! Legendary comic creators, Steven Grant (THE PUNISHER) and Tom Mandrake (BATMAN), team-up with new scribe, Victor Riches, to redefine the genre of action-thriller graphic novels with this harrowing, intense tale. 12 Gauge President Keven Gardner said, “Producing our first original graphic novel has been quite an undertaking, but the payoff has been worth the effort. We knew this had to be a homerun, and the creative team really answered the call. I’m very proud to say that all 112 pages of the novel have been delivered to the printer and look fantastic!”



THE SAFEST PLACE follows war photographer Matthew Castle, who suffered a brutal event in his past that closed him off emotionally, but granted him a special gift: He cannot feel physical pain.



Allied with a beautiful, but secretive news reporter, Matthew uses his unique ability to track down the kidnapped daughter of a wealthy San Francisco family. His daring journey leads him to the Sudan , where a brutal showdown with the girl’s sadistic father pushes Matthew to the brink. Forced to confront his past, not only is the kidnapped child’s safety at stake, but Matthew’s sanity as well.



“This was a unique opportunity for me to experiment with a tough, gritty, black and white style. I'm very excited about both the project and the results!” said illustrator Tom Mandrake, who has taken his art to a new level with the strikingly rendered battles of a good person coming face-to-face with man’s inhumanity to man.



The prose by Grant and Riches captures the suspenseful mood of Matthew’s struggles and the psychological impact of shifting oneself from removed witness to active savior. “It's rare to come across a genuinely new sort of action hero,” Grant said, “but Victor came up with one, and it was great fun to go all Robert Ludlum on him, to structure it as an actual novel, and to cut loose with a terrific, complex thriller and a villain just as interesting as the hero.”



A free preview of THE SAFEST PLACE is available for viewing at 12 Gauge Comics’ THE SAFEST PLACE website, www.12gaugecomics.com/safest-place.html. Inquiries may be directed to thesafestplacecomic@yahoo.com. The graphic novel will be released on May 14, 2008 by Image Comics and 12 Gauge Comics, with a retail price of $12.99. It is available for pre-order at comic book stores with Diamond order code MAR082078 and all book stores with ISBN #978-1-58240-943-6.



About 12 Gauge Comics, LLC
12 Gauge Comics was founded by Keven Gardner in 2004 to produce comic books and graphic novels. Through a partnership with its publisher Image Comics, The Ride (the first 12 Gauge title) debuted as one of the top-selling black and white comics of 2004. 12 Gauge members Jason Pearson, Brian Stelfreeze, Cully Hamner, and Doug Wagner are creating new and innovative multi-media concepts for the company, including Pearson’s run-away hit Body Bags. The 12 Gauge team produced and oversaw the comic development of the upcoming Weinstein Company/Dimension Films major motion picture, The O.C.T., starring actress and co-creator of the property, Rosario Dawson.



For more information, please visit www.12gaugecomics.com or email info@12gaugecomics.com.