The first issue of the official comic book reboot of Irem's Ninja Baseball Bat Man is now available to buy from Dave Cook Comics.
Ninja Baseball Spirits is a five-part comic book series that follows the events of Irem's 1993 beat 'em up, which saw a group of four All-Stars summoned to retrieve six golden relics and save the spirit of baseball.
Former games journalist and award-winning author Dave Cook is the writer of the 30-page comic, with art from collaborator Steve Gregson, colours by Lou Ashworth, and lettering from Rob Jones. The comic came about after Cook met the game's original designer, the former Irem America employee Drew Maniscalco, who currently holds the rights to any non-video game products based on the property, and asked whether he could have the go-ahead to create an official adaptation.
Here's the full synopsis from the comic's store page:
"When six golden relics are stolen from beneath the All-Star baseball stadium, Champion's Field, the spirit of baseball begins to crumble. The stands are empty, the players have lost their vibe and the entire league is close to going bankrupt!
"The Commissioner of Baseball summons the four greatest All-Stars - Jose, Beanball, Ryno and Straw - and gives them special championship rings that transforms them into the Ninja Baseball Spirits. With their newfound ninja abilities, our four heroes must travel America in their high-tech tour bus, The Alabaster and find the stolen relics.
"In each electrifying issue, the ninjas must fight against a rival sports team to win back a relic, including Canada's hockey barbarians and their leader, Wayne Deathslap, Chicago's Basketbrawlers and their captain, Three Point Mike, a cosmic pro-wrestling tag team and more."
The project was announced on Kickstarter last year, with copies of the first issue going out to backers as I type. Now it appears, however, that anyone can buy the first issue from Cook's site for only £6, so if you missed the crowdfunding deadline, here's another chance to get your hands on a copy.