PAX 2008: Penny Arcade prepping Prince of Persia comic

It's a big weekend for the creators of the popular Webcomic Penny Arcade. The pair's fifth annual Penny Arcade Expo is set to kick off in Seattle, Washington, this afternoon, where the second installment of the downloadable, episodic Penny Arcade Adventures games will be revealed to the public.

Now, Ubisoft has put a cherry on top of the weekend's highly stacked sundae. Ubisoft today revealed that it has enlisted Penny Arcade to create a 32-page comic for the forthcoming, cel-shaded installment in the Prince of Persia series, titled simply Prince of Persia. The comic will be released one page per day on the Web sites of both the game and Penny Arcade, although a start date for the project has yet to be determined. A possible print edition of the comic is also currently being discussed.

Penny Arcade writer Jerry Holkins and artist Mike Krahulik have worked with Ubisoft in the past. They created strips as long as 16 pages to accompany a variety of titles from the French publisher, including Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30. Penny Arcade also produced a comic accompaniment to the Prince of Persia franchise once before, for the 2005 multiplatform installment The Two Thrones (pictured).

Whether or not the tone of the comic will stray from the game is up to Holkins and Krahulik, a Ubisoft representative said. Details haven't been finalized yet, but the story will reveal secrets of the new game and delve into the relationship between the new Prince and his costar Elika. The comic will also feature a Penny Arcade take on the "speedart" style of illustration Ubisoft has used in Prince of Persia promotional clips.

Beyond the Penny Arcade tie-in, Ubisoft spilled a few details on the limited edition Prince of Persia package. Customers who preorder the game will receive the limited edition upgrade for free. In addition to special packaging, the bundle will include an extra DVD with behind-the-scenes clips on the making of the game, a digital art book and digital mini-strategy guide, the game's original Inon Zur soundtrack, and other bonuses.

Prince of Persia is set for release later this year on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.