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Circus Maximus, The Heist Comic Set While Rome Burns

Circus Maximus, The Heist Comic Set While Rome Burns, by Mark Sable and Giorgio Pontrelli and Mad Cave Studios

Published Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:57:05 -0500

Article Summary

Ancient Rome heist comic Circus Maximus launches in November from Mad Cave, Mark Sable, and Giorgio Pontrelli.
A former slave, Vestal Virgin, charioteer, and disgraced architect target the Imperial treasury as Rome burns.
Emperor Nero’s chaos sets the stage for betrayal, vengeance, and a daring race against death and destruction.
Creative team includes Emilio Lecce, Dave Sharpe, Paul Azaceta, and Francesco Francavilla on covers and colors.

Mad Cave announces Mark Sable and Giorgio Pontrelli's new Ancient Roman heist comic book series, Circus Maximus, which will launch in November. The series will feature colours by Emilio Lecce, letters by Dave Sharpe, and covers by Paul Azaceta and Francesco Francavilla.

64 AD. The most daring heist in history is being planned by an unlikely crew – a former slave, a Vestal Virgin, a charioteer and a disgraced architect – each with their own personal motives. While Rome is distracted by the chariot racing and gladiatorial games of the Circus Maximus, the crew plans to rob the Imperial treasury under the Temple of Saturn. But when Emperor Nero sets fire to the city, they'll be lucky to escape his wrath with their lives, let alone the loot…

"Many claim to think about the Roman Empire daily, but for the past few years, The Roman Empire has literally been my Roman Empire. Circus Maximus is a true passion project, blending crime and historical fiction in a story I pitched as "Gladiator" meets "Heat." The series centres on Rome's forgotten and forsaken: the enslaved, the exiled, the silenced, who find each other in the shadows and dare to rewrite history. But as the city teeters on the brink of chaos and Nero fans the flames of his own empire, their fight for freedom turns into something far more explosive. Circus Maximus also marks a reunion with artist Giorgio Pontrelli, with whom I collaborated on MISKATONIC and its giant-sized sequel. Aside from being a brilliant artist, Giorgio is a Roman who has lived among the ruins of Ancient Rome his entire life. Paul Azaceta, the first artist I worked with when I started in comics 20 years ago, has also returned to provide the series with some truly epic covers. While I know history buffs like me will appreciate their work, I hope all comics readers will appreciate this blood-soaked story of power, betrayal, and vengeance. Empires rise and fall, but crime is timeless." – Mark Sable.

Circus Maximus #1 is published on the fifth of November… another date known for explosive revolution, thwqarted.

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