Z2 Comics have announced “The Final Symphony: A Beethoven Anthology,” a graphic novel to mark the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth in December. Produced in association with Universal Music Group, the book will see writers Brandon Montclare (“Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur”) and Frank Marraffino (“The Dark Goodbye”) retell Beethoven’s story, with a line-up of a dozen as-yet-unannounced artists. The product listing tells readers to expect, “Fantasy and History. Fables and Ghost Stories. Adventure and Romance.”
Z2 publisher Josh Frankel told The Hollywood Reporter, “Beethoven wrote some of the most universally recognizable pieces of music in the history of the planet. It is of course, incredibly exciting to publish the work of some of today’s well-known artists, but to have this chance to tell comic book stories from and inspired by the life of one of the most legendary artists of all time is humbling. We have done our very best to honor this by putting together what we believe will be an essential read for music lovers of all ages.”
The book will be released in November, in a standard edition, and a special limited run with a slipcase, art prints, and a double vinyl LP featuring a selection of Beethoven’s music, as chosen by Deutsche Grammophon. Kleopatra Sofrioniou, Deutsche Grammophon’s VP of marketing, said, “We are delighted to be encouraging the dialogue between the visual arts and classical music, and hope that this exciting new project will open doors for comic book fans to discover the magic of Beethoven’s music.”
