July 18, 2017, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment is proud to announce that Crackdown, the Xbox-exclusive open world action-adventure game by Microsoft Studios, will be brought to comics in an all-new comic book series. Written by Shane McCarthy (Transformers: All Hail Megatron, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight), the comic book will delve into the catastrophic global events that set the plot in motion for Crackdown 3, while expanding the universe of Crackdown far beyond the boundaries of the already-expansive game environment.  

In Crackdown 3, releasing November 7 as an Xbox One exclusive, a series of devastating blackout attacks have taken the world and The Agency by surprise. From out of nowhere, a new enemy has targeted major metropolitan areas with a never-before-seen form of elemental warfare, plunging vast swaths of society into darkness and chaos. In the aftermath, the Agency has picked up a hot lead - and now they'll stop at nothing to find the ones who knocked the world down, to deliver a harsh dose of Justice…by any means necessary.  

The first issue of the Crackdown comic will release November 8, 2017 and is available for free to all that purchase a copy of Crackdown 3.  

Shane McCarthy says, "I'm really excited to be a part of bringing the Crackdown comic to life. I'm a big fan of the games and have been from the first one! What I'm most excited about is exploring the Crackdown universe further and taking a longer look at what it's like to be a part of it. It's going to be a lot of fun seeing what makes these Agents tick as they punch their way to a better world!" 

Writer Shane McCarthy currently resides in Perth, Western Australia. A freelance writer whose work has been published internationally by DC Comics, Marvel Comics, IDW, and more, he has written Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Detective Comics, Dark X-Men, Daredevil, Star Wars, and Transformers: All Hail Megatron.

 "Working with Microsoft and learning about the larger world that's below ‘the page' in the game has been a fascinating and exciting process, and the creative energy that's come from working with Shane on expanding that world not on the screen has been truly exciting. I really feel like we're presenting a worthy companion to the game," says Matt Idelson, Senior Editor.

"We're very excited to be working with Microsoft and the Beanstalk licensing team on another fantastic title with Crackdown, in addition to Killer Instinct," says Rich Young, Director of Business Development at Dynamite. "The previous Crackdown games were visually stunning and super-fun to play, and it's looking like Crackdown 3 is going to set the bar even higher. And the fact that Crackdown 3 will launch with the newly announced Xbox One X only adds to the excitement. The comics will play a crucial role in helping further develop on Crackdown 3's storyline."

"We are thrilled to be working with Dynamite on Crackdown 3, and are grateful to Beanstalk's Tinderbox division, our licensing agency, for matching us up," says Torrie Dorrell, who oversees Consumer Products for Crackdown 3 under Microsoft Studios.  "We love to immerse our players more deeply into our game worlds, and the comic series will give Crackdown fans more story!"

Dynamite Entertainment's profile in the video game industry continues to grow. In 2016, the publisher launched a library of Atari-based comic books and graphic novels, including the best-selling Art of Atari hardcover retrospective, the Art of Atari Poster Collection, Atari Classics: Swordquest, and new Swordquest and Centipede series. Since April, they announced new projects in development that include Undisputed Street Fighter™: The Art and Innovation Behind the Game-Changing Series, and Killer Instinct and Fruit Ninja comic book series. Additional Dynamite video game projects have included Animal Jam, Doodle Jump, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and Path of Exile.

Crackdown will be solicited in an upcoming edition of the Diamond Comic Distributors' Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market. Crackdown will also be available for purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, Madefire, and Dark Horse Digital.

Gamers and fans are encouraged to subscribe to Dynamite's social media for the latest news and updates on development and release.