Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello Reveals Brand New Comic Book

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello is officially set to return to the world of comics via ComiXology. New details have emerged about Leviathan Freedom, Morello's upcoming series telling the true story of American icon Robert Smalls with a twist.

A press release from ComiXology revealed that the new series will be released through their Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line, with a debut set for this summer. Described as a sci-fi epic inspired by the true story of American icon Robert Smalls, Leviathan Freedom sees Morello uniting with Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Marc Guggenheim (Star Wars: Jar Jar, The Arrowverse) and artist Szymon Kudrański (Spawn, Punisher). Leviathan Freedom will be a five-issue miniseries that sees the galaxy divided by civil war.

Tom Morello's Latest Comic Puts Futuristic Sci-Fi Twist on American History

Comixology reveals that Leviathan Freedom is "a sci-fi re-imagining of the legacy of Robert Smalls, a man born into slavery who seized his own freedom by commandeering a Confederate warship, sailing himself, his family, and others to liberation." As the story's epic sci-fi scale finds itself entrenched in a civil war, "the profound human cost of conflict is felt not in the war rooms but by the Doldrums, the laborer caste essential for the war machine–until one man decides to stand against it."

In history, Small's example later helped convince President Abraham Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Union Army, and after the Civil War, he became a politician. He served in the South Carolina Legislature and the United States House of Representatives.

"For as long as I can remember, I’ve been on a mission to unearth the stories of revolutionaries — the fighters, the visionaries, the ones history either buries or sanitizes beyond recognition," Morello shared in ComiXology's press release.

"Their courage, defiance, and unwavering pursuit of justice, often in the face of seemingly impossible odds, have shaped the world, even if their names are too often left out of the narrative," he continued. "Robert Smalls is one of those heroes. The idea of taking his revolutionary spirit and launching it into the cosmos feels like a perfect extension of his fight."

Tom Morello Made His Comics Debut Back in 2011

While Leviathan Freedom puts a new twist on an American icon, it's not Morello's first venture into the world of comics. In 2011, he made his debut with Orchid, a post-apocalyptic story released by Dark Horse Comics about a character who fights to challenge the roles that society has placed upon her. Morello even released exclusive songs to accompany each of the story's issues.

As for Guggenheim, the Emmy Award-winning writer has worked in multiple mediums, from television series like Law & Order and Arrow to film (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters), and even video games like Call of Duty 3. In comics, he has worked for both Marvel (Star Wars, X-Men, Spider-Men) and DC (The Flash, Batman) and more. His recent comics include the creator-owned series The Adventures of Ulysses Monarch, which is also available through Comixology Originals, as well as Star Wars: Jar Jar and Star Wars: Jedi Knights Vol. 2 — A Higher Path, both of which are published by Marvel.

More details about Leviathan Freedom, including its exact release date, are expected to emerge in the coming months.