Do you like your sword-and-sandal epics with a heaping helping of history? Then consider the upcoming comic Kyrie by Matt Crotts. Set in the third century CE in Roman North Africa, it follows a group of thieves on the run from Egyptian authorities for some mystical artifacts.

"Kyrie is a blend of three of my passions: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, dynamic illustration, and compelling storytelling," Crotts writes on the campaign's page. "Though still a stand-alone short story, [this 16-page comic] is written as a functional prologue, and will exemplify the style, characters and scope of an upcoming long-form adventure epic, to be produced separately and further down the road."

Like many comic creators, Crotts has turned to Kickstarter to help produce this comic -- and he's already got more than enough. The Kyrie Kickstarter has already doubled its $500 goal, but interested readers can still obtain a digital copy for a lowly $1 sum.