Team Ninja and Dark Horse Comics have launched the three-part Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z digital comic series, providing insight into the backstory of this hit comic-inspired video game in three revealing vignettes.Initially released digitally with an all-new full color print comic to be available with the game, as it launches on its newly confirmed North American release date of March 18, 2014, the series is brought to life by Writers Tim Seeley and Josh Emmons, Artist Rafael Ortiz, Colorist Carlos Badilla with special cover art by James Harren.

The story sees lead character Yaiba take a break from slaughtering zombies in the debut issue to tell the tale of how his often bloody sword became to be known as “Heartless” as he recounts the story to Miss Monday.

The comic will be available for free download at the Dark Horse Digital Store, as well as through the Dark Horse Comics app which you can find here.

In Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, players will battle fierce zombies as Yaiba, a cyborg ninja who will do anything to get revenge and stay alive. Cleaved in two, he is brought back to life with cyber-technology. Brandishing his ninja sword and the mecha weapons in his cyber arm, he slaughters zombies with brutal, over-the-top abandon. Step into a stylized living comic book where stunning graphics depict a world gone mad. Hordes of undead can only be stopped by Yaiba’s willingness to use any means necessary to get the job done.

Will he kill by turning his cyber arm into a razor chainsaw for slicing up undead—or just rip off an opponent’s arms to use as zombie nunchucks? Both possibilities fill Yaiba’s heart with twisted laughter in this collaboration between famed developers Team NINJA and comcept’s Keiji Inafune.

More information about Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z can be found at YaibaNGZ.com, on Facebook and Twitter.