Konami teams-up with Mad Cave Studios for a 12-Issue CONTRA series

Konami Cross Media NY, Inc. has struck a new licensing deal with Mad Cave Studios, tapping the publisher to develop an expansive comic book series built around Konami's iconic run-and-gun action video game franchise, Contra. And the deal isn’t a one-off; it covers a 12-issue ongoing series, multiple trade paperback collections, and a Deluxe Edition — with distribution spanning the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. In other words, Konami isn’t testing the waters here; this is a global rollout built for the long haul.

Konami and Mad Cave have released some new key art with the announcement, which sets the tone immediately. Series mainstays Bill Rizer and Lance Bean charge forward guns blazing, and they are set against a blazing orange explosion, a clear signal that Mad Cave is leaning into the franchise's over-the-top, muscle-bound action roots rather than reinventing it.

“The adrenaline-pumping world of Contra has always been rooted in rich, character-driven action, making it a perfect candidate for the comic book medium,” said Jennifer Coleman, SVP of Licensing and Marketing at Konami Cross Media NY. She pointed to Mad Cave’s track record across genres as the reason for the pairing — a publisher, in her words, that brings both passion for the IP and the creative chops to expand it.

That confidence tracks. Since its founding in 2014, Miami-based Mad Cave Studios has grown into one of indie comics’ heavier hitters, with imprints like Maverick, Nakama Press, and Papercutz under its umbrella, giving it the range to tackle Contra’s particular blend of military sci-fi and over-the-top action.

“Contra is a cornerstone of gaming history, and we are honored to take the mantle of bringing its explosive energy to the page,” said Mark London, CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Mad Cave. He framed the goal as a character-focused story that respects the source material while still surprising longtime fans of the series.

Contra first hit arcades in 1987 and has spent nearly four decades as one of gaming’s definitive co-op action franchises, so the jump to sequential art has been a long time coming for series fans.

Issue #1 lands in January 2027, hitting comic shops and major book retailers.