I don’t read comic books nearly as often as I would like, but one forthcoming work that I’m making time for is the graphic novel version of Darren Aronofsky‘s Noah. Taking an approach not unlike the one employed on The Fountain, he’s telling his story in graphic novel form first, primarily so an eventual movie deal is a more plausible thing.

That deal is already in place, but the comic is thankfully still on the way — in fact, the first volume is starting to be sold in Europe under the translated title of Noé. (Perhaps the wrong person is directing the film version.) I have no clue why it’s already being sold there, since the two authors — Aronofsky and his frequent producer, Ari Handel — are American, and the illustrator, Niko Henrichon, is Canadian. I always assumed that we would be getting it all in one piece, though, so maybe different release strategies overseas are affecting when and how various countries obtain the material.

No matter the reason, several panels have appeared at Le Lombard (via /Film), mostly giving us a hint at the gritty illustrations of Henrichson. Aronofsky and Handel‘s writing is there — only, it’s in French. Still, this manages to answer some minor questions about the project, while also making me even more excited. I can already picture Christian Bale in the ancient garb. Seriously: Somebody, anybody, needs to release this in the United States immediately.

You can see the cover above and the first few panels below, along with a synopsis:

It was a world without hope, a world with no rain and no crops, dominated by warlords and their barbarian hordes. In this cruel world, Noah was a good man. Seasoned fighter, mage and healer but he only wanted peace for him and his family. Yet every night, Noah was beset by visions of an endless flood, symbolizing the destruction of all life. Gradually he began to understand the message sent him by the Creator. He had decided to punish the men and kill them until the last. But he gave Noah a last chance to preserve life on Earth …

Going along with this is a new trailer. Although it has some of the same shots from the (since removed) preview we got in February, this feels far more cinematic. Take a look at that below:

Finally, AronofskyFilms translated a quote from Henrichon about the reaction to the first volume. Knowing the main creative force behind this whole thing, I kind of got a kick out of it:

“This Volume 1 of Noah, to say a few words, I would say the introduction of a story rather confusing. Those familiar with Aronofsky films are sure to notice its tendency to stage events and ambiguous inatendus who pushed to their extreme limits, changing forever the fate of the protagonists. It’s the same with our version of the myth of Noah. Those who believe that we are just going to recycle the myth of the Old Testament may be disappointed. I was told recently that the first volume was almost too normal for Aronofsky. Well done! To say more would spoil the surprise a little.”

What do these first glimpses of Noah do for you, excitement-wise?