Devil's Due Publishing (DDP) and Starz combine forces to launch a comic book mini-series this October based on the network's upcoming series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Award-winning producers/filmmakers Rob Tapert (The Grudge, "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"), Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and Evil Dead), and Joshua Donen (The Quick and the Dead) will serve as executive producers on the program, along with Steven S. DeKnight ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Smallville," "Dollhouse"), who will also be the show's head writer.

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" will be a provocative, violent and sexy television series chronicling the life of the famous Ancient Roman gladiator and his rise to fame. Actor John Hannah (The Mummy films) has signed on to play the devious Batiatus, the owner of the gladiator school and husband of Lucretia (action TV favorite Lucy Lawless), his scheming, insatiable wife. The series stars Andy Whitfield in the title role, a Thracian Soldier in the Roman Auxiliary who was taken prisoner and condemned to die in the gladiator arena.