Three #1 Makes History

Spartan society never ceases to be fascinating. It's best known for its relentless militaristic culture, boasting proud warriors and feared kings. There was also an intricate slave/master system in place, a system covered by Kieron Gillen and Ryan Kelly in Three #1. Colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Clayton Cowles chip in talents as well to tell the story of what happens when three Helots—slaves to the citizens of Sparta—go on the run after escaping a brutal massacre. And now the first issue has sold out.

"THREE is a story I've been telling to myself for years," says Gillen. "When Ryan and I met at NYCC in 2011, I told him that story. Instantly, we were a team, and from then on we recruited members. Jordie, Clayton, [graphic designer] Hannah Donovan, and Professor Hodkinson helped bring this into being. Now, two years later, it's sold out of its printing so quickly is kind of humbling. In a real way, to finally get to share it with anyone else is amazing. To share it with so many is overwhelming."

The Spartans are considered to be among the greatest warriors who ever lived. But that triumph hides a dark truth: Spartan citizens enjoyed a great deal of freedom, but the Helots were abused, oppressed, and lived in fear of being slaughtered at the whim of their masters. Three shifts the focus from the Spartans to their undervalued and under-explored slaves.

Three #2 releases on 11/13 and can be pre-ordered now using Diamond Code SEP130644. Full press release below.

THREE #1 MAKES HISTORIC DEBUT Extraordinary tale of slaves and masters in ancient Sparta by Kieron Gillen & Ryan Kelly sells out immediately In THREE #1, writer Kieron Gillen, artist Ryan Kelly, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Clayton Cowles tell the story of what happens when three Helots—slaves to the citizens of Sparta—go on the run after escaping a brutal massacre. Today, Image Comics is thrilled to announce that THREE #1 has sold out at the distributor on its first day of release. The Spartans are considered to be among the greatest warriors who ever lived. But that triumph hides a dark truth: Spartan citizens enjoyed a great deal of freedom, but the Helots were abused, oppressed, and lived in fear of being slaughtered at the whim of their masters. THREE shifts the focus from the Spartans to their undervalued and under-explored slaves. "THREE is a story I've been telling to myself for years," says Gillen. "When Ryan and I met at NYCC in 2011, I told him that story. Instantly, we were a team, and from then on we recruited members. Jordie, Clayton, [graphic designer] Hannah Donovan, and Professor Hodkinson helped bring this into being. Now, two years later, it's sold out of its printing so quickly is kind of humbling. In a real way, to finally get to share it with anyone else is amazing. To share it with so many is overwhelming." THREE #1 may still be available at your local comic store, and is available digitally on the Image website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, and Android. THREE #2 releases on 11/13 and can be pre-ordered now using Diamond Code SEP130644. ABOUT IMAGE COMICS Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.