Despite releasing a lithograph of 300 antagonist and Persian God-King Xerxes this past fall, Dark Horse Comics had been relatively quiet on the character's titular prequel. Leave it to the upcoming covers of the newly relaunched Dark Horse Presents to change all that, though. When the 80-page first issue hits next year, fans are promised an exclusive sneak-peak at the six-issue miniseries.

Last year Miller spoke to Hero Complex and dished out the meat and potatoes behind Xerxes, which takes place about a decade before 300 and focuses on the king's ascension to godhood in a world where the possibility is presupposed.
"The story will be the same heft as '300′ but it cover a much, much greater span of time - it's 10 years, not three days," Miller said. "This is a more complex story. The story is so much larger. The Spartans in '300′ were being enclosed by the page as the world got smaller. This story has truly vast subjects. The Athenian naval fleet, for instance, is a massive artistic undertaking and it dwarfed by the Persian fleet, which is also shown in this story. The story has elements of espionage, too, and it's a sweeping tale with gods and warriors."
Zack Snyder, who directed the 2006 300 film, expressed interest in adapting Xerxes (If it's awesome and compelling), although the director's Superman duties may have him indisposed for awhile.

Check out both Dark Horse Presents covers below:

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