Star Comics

After announcing the appearance of the master, Norihiro Yagi – author of Ariadne in the blue sky and Claymore – Star Comics and Lucca Comics & Games revealed two other important international guests during the press conference for the 2022 festival that are linked to the massive Knights of the Zodiac – Saint Seiya fictional universe.

At Lucca we’ll be joined from neighbouring France by writer Arnaud Dollen and illustrator Jérôme Alquié, authors of the official Knights of the Zodiac – Saint Seiya spin-off that was announced during Lucca Comics & Games’ official 2022 press conference.

The series, entitled Knights of the Zodiac – Saint Seiya: Time Odissey, will consist of 5 volumes that will be released by the Star label.

The master, Kurumada, personally supervised the project, which has an art style very close to the anime, and gave fans a personal message that can be read in the first issue.

The 5 volumes will be available in a 21 x 28 cm hardback format. Additionally, each of them will also be available in a collector’s edition​, with volumes measuring 25.5 x 33.8 cm, containing unpublished extra material and exclusive content. Both the Regular and Collector’s Edition of the first album will be available from 28 October in comic stores, bookstores, online stores and, of course, at Lucca Comics & Games.

Jérôme Alquié and Arnaud Dollen will be at Lucca Comics & Games from 29 to 31 October. Events that are open to the public that they will be participating in will be announced soon.

From the dawn of time, the gods of Olympus have fought for control of the Earth. Against them stands the goddess Athena, aided by her knights! When a new opponent enters the scene, the Knights’ very future is at stake. Can Ikki, the Phoenix Bronze Knight, unravel the threads of destiny?

Jérôme Alquié

The French illustrator and colourist was born in 1975 and got his start illustrating artbooks for Japanese anime in the ‘80s. A big fan of Saint Seiya, he’s created numerous illustrations over the years, and helped create the trailer for Saint Seiya – The Hades in 2001. In 2003, he made studies for statues of Captain Future and Captain Harlock. In 2011, he formed an artistic partnership with Arnaud Dollen with the series The Supernaturals (Delcourt). In 2019, the Captain Harlock comic mini-series, written by Dollen, started being published with Kana. At the same time, the two were working on creating Saint Seiya Time Odyssey.

Arnaud Dollen

Aerospace engineer, novelist and comic book writer. He began collaborating with Jérôme Alquié in 2002, creating the fantasy novel, The Ring of Seven. After the Supernaturals​​series (Delcourt), he created the recent ​Saint Seiya Time Odyssey, again in partnership with Alquié. He currently works as the lead author on the Cross the Ages project (www.crosstheages.com).

The Mondadori Group announces the completion today, through its subsidiary Mondadori Libri S.p.A., of the acquisition of 51% of Edizioni Star Comics S.r.l., Italy’s leading comic books publisher.
The transaction, which takes place in execution of the agreement signed and disclosed to the market last 6 June, will be effective as of 1 July, the date from which Mondadori will also fully consolidate the company.

As a result of the acquisition – consistent with the strategy of increasing focus on the core business of books – the Mondadori Group gains a leadership position in the domestic comic books segment, with an approximately 30% market share (GfK, in terms of value, June 2022).
Under the agreement, Simone Bovini and Claudia Bovini retain their management positions in Edizioni Star Comics, continuing to serve as Managing Directors.

The price for the acquisition of 51% of the share capital of Edizioni Star Comics – paid fully in cash today – is € 14.28 million, defined on the basis of an Enterprise Value (for 100% of the company) of € 28 million and an estimated net financial position at closing of zero.
The price will be adjusted based on the final net financial position at 30 June 2022.

The transaction, including the impact of the put&call options giving the Mondadori Group the right to increase its stake up to 100% in Edizioni Star Comics, changes the Group’s guidance for 2022 as follows:

• free cash flow is expected to be € 10-15 million versus the previous estimate of € 40-45 million;
• the Adjusted NFP/EBITDA ratio (IFRS16) stands at a level below 1.3x versus the previous forecast (below 1.1x).