Yesterday at the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo, longtime Chicago Bears defensive standout Israel Idonije formally rolled out the first print issue of The Protectors, the flagship title from Athleta Comics.The series, which we’ve discussed in the past, is a collaboration between Idonije, acclaimed comics writer Ron Marz and superstar artist Bart Sears.The trio managed to put aside the way the Bears beat Marz’s beloved New York Giants this season to work on a project that Idonije has been developing for years, going back to one of his first years in training camp. The project, which sees a group of gifted individuals who have careers as professional athletes before realizing that they aren’t just good but destined for something larger, has already been teased in webcomic form at the Athleta website for a while, but The Protectors #0 bowed at C2E2 yesterday, along with a panel discussion and signing appearance by the key talent.Shortly after the project was announced at New York Comic Con, the trio joined ComicBook.com for a conversation about The Protectors.Israel Idonije, Ron Marz and Bart Sears will sign a C2E2-exclusive lithograph from the series later today at Hero Initiative booth #829. The signing, which takes place from 2 p.m.-3 p.m., is a ticketed event.ComicBook.com: So can you tell us what motivates these characters? I mean, certainly you look back at Spider-Man and his initial “Hey, look at how strong I am! I should make some money off of this! Your characters are already professional athletes, already doing that but without any of the cynicism, and then they find out they’ve got a higher calling.
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