Renegade Jean Marc LaPointe Returns For Espionage & A Mind-Blowing Threat In ‘The Saints: Awakening’

Paul Hair |

May 15, 2023

Excerpt of 'The Saints: Awakening' (2023), Allegiance Arts

Jean Marc LaPointe returns for more danger and adventure in The Saints: Awakening, the second volume of the comic book series from Allegiance Arts. The renegade archaeologist faces off against foes who are so dangerous that they threaten more than just his life—much, much more.

Jean Marc LaPointe and other characters in action on the cover of 'The Saints: Awakening.'

‘The Saints: Awakening’ (2023), Allegiance Arts

The Saints: Awakening finds LaPointe back in action. Allegiance Arts Editor-in-Chief S. N. Amendolare described volume two of the series as being another high-octane thriller that features the archaeologist in a massive adventure. “Marked for death, LaPointe uncovers the arcane machinations of an underworld cabal, revealing a murderous game of international espionage that threatens the foundations of reality.”

The electrifying tale features a top-notch team that includes Mike Baron, Christian Rosado, Butch Guice, Mitch Breitweiser, and Amendolare.

Interior artwork from 'The Saints: Awakening.'

‘The Saints: Awakening’ (2023) interior artwork, Allegiance Arts

Baron expanded on the tale and its universe. “I was enamored with Allegiance since they first announced,” he told Bounding Into Comics. “When Nick [Amendolare] and Mitch asked me to write The Saints, I jumped in. Like all pulp aficionados, I love the idea of lost civilizations. I had read The Lost City of Z and The Lost City of the Monkey God. I recommend both books. They are about real places, but only the latter has surfaced.”

“Jean Marc LaPointe is a celebrity archaeologist,” Baron continued. “Right now, there are no celebrity archaeologists, but they seem inevitable. We already have celebrity chefs, doctors, and ‘influencers,’ people who do nothing, so why not someone who uncovers lost civilizations? The Saints are a secret group of archaeologists, dedicated to preserving the remaining great lost cities, who recruit Jean Marc.”

‘The Saints: Awakening’ (2023) interior artwork, Allegiance Arts

“Humanity has spread over the Earth like a can of Sherwin-Williams paint, but there are still vast stretches that remain unexplored. Let there always be unexplored land,” said Baron. “They are essential to the human imagination.

“Nick’s idea was that there was a secret cabal of historians and tech lords called the Forge who had learned to send biotech into the past. Time travel has always been problematic, but Nick found a unique angle. We can’t send people into the past, but we can send tech. The biotech would infect whoever touched it, and cause them to behave in such a way as to pave the way for the Forge. The Forge’s modest goal is to control the world. One can easily imagine the World Economic Forum embracing them. Perhaps they are the Forge,” Baron explained.

Jean Marc LaPointe front and center on the cover of episode 1 of 'The Saints.'

‘The Saints’ Season 1, Episode 1 (2022), Allegiance Arts

“Against this vandalism stands Jean Marc, who became a celebrity to fund his expeditions. Former flame and history professor Rachel Brewer tags along because she can’t resist the lure of the forbidden, but soon she will gain prominence as the woman who told the world about the Forge,” he elaborated.

“The action spreads from the Far East to the Middle East, to South America, Forge versus Saints, drug smugglers versus Indians, culminating in a fantastic fight in a fantastic place that might have been conjured by Edgar Rice Burroughs,” Baron concluded.

Interior artwork of episode 1 of 'The Saints.'

‘The Saints’ Season 1, Episode 1 (2022) interior artwork, Allegiance Arts

Everything is ready to go with The Saints: Awakening. Amendolare said that it is “complete and ready to print,” and that the “44-page comic book is available as a preorder on IndieGoGo.”

Fans apparently can’t wait for this latest tale. As of the time of this writing, the crowdfunding campaign for it has approximately 200 backers and has blown past its initial goal by over 700%. And there’s still almost a month left for readers to support it and get their copy as soon as possible. Volume one is also available as an add-on.

Jean Marc LaPointe runs on the cover of episode 2 of 'The Saints.'

‘The Saints’ Season 1, Episode 2 (2022), Allegiance Arts

And if readers want to catch up on volume one of The Saints right away? Allegiance Arts has episodes one and two of that comic book available for download directly from its website. Plus, Allegiance Arts has many other titles that readers can buy as well—everything from Red Rooster, to Norah’s Saga, to The Futurists, and more.

Again, The Saints: Awakening is crowdfunding on Indiegogo. Readers who are interested in the next volume of the thrilling series have just under a month to help back it.