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Sneak Peek: Messi getting comic book on Wednesday

By Alex Butler
FC Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi jubilates the 3-2-victory against Real Madrid during the Liga Primera Division 33rd round match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Photo by Juan Carlos Hidalgo/EPA
FC Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi jubilates the 3-2-victory against Real Madrid during the Liga Primera Division 33rd round match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Photo by Juan Carlos Hidalgo/EPA

April 25 (UPI) -- Fresh off of the pitch from scoring his 500th goal, Lionel Messi is getting the superhero treatment with his own comic book.

The Barcelona striker won Sunday's El Clásico against Real Madrid with an extra-time goal. After the match, fans edited and placed his image onto various superheroes.

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Fame: Lionel Messi the comic book is available Wednesday. His storied career is portrayed in the latest illustrated copy of the comic. TidalWave has many editions for the successful line of biography titles. The Fame titles are 28-page issues. They bring the stories behind the world's biggest celebrities to life in graphic form. TidalWave has also done issues on David Beckham, Diego Maradona, Alex Rodriguez, Russell Wilson and others.

"We've found a niche with our bio comics," said TidalWave publisher Darren G. Davis. "Our success with this comic shows that there is a much wider audience for sequential storytelling than many thought. These readers are simply looking for something other than superheroes or horror. With our bio comics, we strive to bring these new readers evenhanded, well-researched looks at some of their favorite celebrities."

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The comic is written by Michael Frizell and created by artist Angel Bernuy, who brings Messi's journey to life with the illustrations. Pablo Martinena was the artist behind the Fame cover.

"I found Lionel Messi to be a fascinating figure," Frizell said. "This is my second book about a football player – I sport I knew little about until I wrote the Maradona book a few months ago – and it was a challenge to find the proper balance between the myth and the man."

Fame: Lionel Messi will be available on e-reader from iTunes, Kindle, Nook, ComiXology, DriveThru Comics, Google Play, My Digital Comics, Overdrive, Iverse, Biblioboard, Flipkart, ComicBin, Axis360, Blio, Entitle, Comicblender, Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold. Print copies can be ordered exclusively at ComicFleaMarket.com.

"I'm from Argentina, many people ask me 'Will they ever make a comic from Messi," Martinena said. "So for me it was a double pleasant surprise, first because Tidal Wave made it true and second because I was chosen for the cover art, it is a tribute to his effort, sacrifice and passion."

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Messi, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, scored the 500th goal of his career in the final seconds at the Bernabeu to sink Real Mardid. He bent the shot near post to beat the keeper after accepting a cross from Jordi Alba. The 29-year-old sensation is largely regarded as the best player in the world and is arguably one of the greatest futbol players of all time. Messi began his journey with FC Barcelona at just 13-years-old. He became the youngest official player and goal scorer in La Liga during the 2004 season at 17-years-old.

Messi earned $81.5 million in 2016, according to Forbes. The five-foot, six-inch fútbol phenom is considered the heir apparent to Maradona for Argentina. He has 52 goals and 19 assists in 51 games during the 2016-2017 season for club and country.

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