Iron Maiden's 'Somewhere in Time' 40th Anniversary Graphic Novel

Iron Maiden and Z2 have just announced a 40th anniversary "graphic album" (graphic novel and specialty vinyl reissue) for the 1986 classic Somewhere in Time.

This venture marks the second time the heavy metal legends and the still-ascending publisher have collaborated, the first being the Eisner Award-nominated Piece of Mind graphic novel. Z2 has also worked closely with singer Bruce Dickinson on his ongoing The Mandrake Project comic series.

Somewhere in Time: The Graphic Album fully utilizes one of Maiden's most thrilling pieces of historic artwork, bringing new renditions of cyborg Eddie to life via eight chapters tied to the album's songs.

It features a prologue and epilogue written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and illustrated by Andy MacDonald, which imagines all the things that could have happened preceding the immortal two-panel scene that represents the original front and back cover of Somewhere in Time.

Guitarist Adrian Smith, who solely authored the album's two singles — "Wasted Years" and "Stranger in a Strange Land" — comments on the album art, "Yeah, I mean, it's just a great version of Eddie, my favorite version of Eddie probably. There's a real power there you know, a genuine power and menace. He's very muscular isn't he? He looks like he’s been working out. Like I say, it complements the music, which is fantastic.”

The graphic album also features in-depth interview with Smith about writing and recording Somewhere in Time, conducted by Dave Shack, Managing Director at Phantom Music Management.

Z2 Editor-in-Chief Rantz Hoseley adds, “Somewhere in Time dropped my senior year, and like many other writers and artists, everything about that album… the songs, the art, that powerful incarnation of Eddie… evoked a million possible stories. It’s such an honor to bring this creative team together to explore these worlds!”

Other contributors include creators from comics and film, such as Steve Niles, Goran Parlov, Benjamin Raab, Deric Hughes, Matt Haley, Dan Hernandez, Adam Markiewicz, David Dastmalchian, Stan Yak, Corin Hardy, Montos, John Reppion, Leah Moore, Vincent Locke, Henry Sansom, and Davide Frabbi. Meanwhile, comic icon and Bruce Dickinson collaborator Bill Sienkiewicz headed up the introduction.

Z2 is currently offering up a large variety of pre-order packages with Deluxe and Platinum editions even coming with a quartet of framed Eddie Somewhere in Time cards designed by artist Davide Fabbri as well as a bookplate signed by the aforementioned Adrian Smith.

There's also 7" vinyl single re-releases of "Wasted Years" and "Stranger in a Strange Land."

To survey all options and to place your pre-order, visit the Z2 website or pre-order the standard edition directly below through