![2nd Jul: Something in the Water (2024), 1hr 26m [R] (5.05/10)](https://occ-0-1081-999.1.nflxso.net/dnm/api/v6/0Qzqdxw-HG1AiOKLWWPsFOUDA2E/AAAABf2wkdKvUfn30DNiTVuFTdDUbYG4oI-CV-l0l40YdoAnDwme-47nfKsZ07YLhv-HtMyunjLb3nRREsaaDR4Y2KS6Htg6CcxKIcUbAtjGqpyMPr6InAJiuovycTycPfwOnKPv4ZxjtPRP8gVy-Z_dtQAhJlCZwiDF3SCIwSBH4v8erw.jpg?r=cb6 "2nd Jul: Something in the Water (2024), 1hr 26m [R] (5.05/10)")
Jordan Mechner has spent decades chasing the same dream that inspired him to create Prince of Persia in 1989: telling cinematic adventure stories. We’re thrilled to reveal pages of his latest project, Liberty, which brings his research-meets-entertainment storyteller brain to the timely subject of America’s fight for independence.
It’s hard to understate the achievement of Prince of Persia, a landmark for technical ingenuity on early PCs and just a rowdy good time thanks to fluid mechanics. (If you’ve never heard him tell the tale of cramming the original game into Apple II’s memory limitations, it’s as riveting as his books.) After that success, Mechner split his time between games, screenwriting, and graphic novels. His latest project continues that tradition with a sweeping historical thriller arriving just as America marks the 250th anniversary of its independence.
Rather than retell familiar Revolutionary War battles, Liberty follows the little-known covert operation that helped make those victories possible. The graphic novel centers on American envoy Silas Deane and celebrated French playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, whose elaborate network of shell companies and forged manifests funneled desperately needed supplies across the Atlantic to the Continental Army in 1776. Their mission unfolds as an espionage adventure as British agents race to cut off the rebellion before it can survive its earliest days. I’m getting some Assassin’s Creed vibes. (Maybe because I’m having a not-so-great time replaying Assassin’s Creed 3 right now but I digress…)
History has always been central to Mechner’s graphic novel work — see Templar — and Liberty appears to fit the mold. The 216-page hardcover includes an afterword by Mechner, a Revolutionary War timeline, and suggested reading drawn from the extensive research behind the book, underscoring its ambition to satisfy history buffs alongside readers looking for an adventure yarn.
The project also reunites Mechner with acclaimed French comics talent. Illustrator Loïc Chevallier brings layered colors and cinematic lighting to the political intrigue. Artist Étienne Le Roux, known for historical works including 14-18, lends meticulous-but-dynamic period detail to the sprawling international drama, which promises to stretch from Versailles to the American colonies. It looks slick as hell.
Polygon is exclusively debuting several pages from Liberty below, offering an early look at Mechner and his collaborators’ take on one of the Revolution’s least celebrated stories. The Kickstarter campaign launched July 1 and features multiple editions of the graphic novel, ranging from a standard hardcover to deluxe collector’s versions packed with commemorative extras inspired by the clandestine arms-smuggling operation at the heart of the story. Here’s a taste:
