The countdown to The Great Wall movie has begun. Legendary Comics released today a prequel graphic novel to the movie, which will reveal important backstory on the secret society of heroes who have been defending the world from within the Great Wall. Before you go out and pick up this graphic novel today, Legendary has given fans a sneak peek, debuting the first three pages of this 128-page hardcover graphic novel, entitled The Great Wall: Last Survivor.

What if an army was created to defend our world from an enemy so dangerous, its very existence must be kept a secret? Built to keep out the ferocious Tao Tei, The Great Wall is the most powerful defensive structure ever built; but it is the heroes within that make the wall great: The Nameless Order. Set sixty years prior to the film, in the mysterious lands of ancient China, tragedy forces young Bao into joining The Nameless Order and upholding the corps' four principles: Discipline, Loyalty, Secrecy, and Sacrifice.

Challenged by rivals, haunted by his past, and tested by desires, Bao spends his life preparing for one singular moment: when he will have to defend the world from ferocious monsters that have come to devour us all. An original graphic novel inspired by the major motion picture The Great Wall from Legendary, Universal Pictures, China Film Co., Ltd and Le Vision Pictures, directed by Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) and starring Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Willem Dafoe. The Great Wall: Last Survivor is written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) with art by Gian Fernando (13 Legends). The cover art is by Whilce Portacio.

The supporting cast for The Great Wall is rounded out by Andy Lau, Numan Acar, Tian Jing, Eddie Peng, Han Lu, Hanyu Zhang and Kenny Lin. Shortly after the first trailer was released in July, Fresh of the Boat star Constance Wu bashed the film for its "whitewashing" practices, casting Matt Damon as the lead actor of a movie predominantly set in China. The controversy has since died down, but with the movie gearing up for its release exactly one month from today, on February 24, the controversy could re-ignite once again.

The Great Wall has been in development for several years, with Henry Cavill once set to star way back in 2012, with Benjamin Walker also signing on later that year alongside director Edward Zwick. None of the actors are involved in the project now, although Edward Zwick and his longtime writing partner Marshall Herskowitz still getting a story credit with Max Brooks. Zimou Yhang directs The Great Wall from a screenplay by Tony Gilroy, Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro. The film will go up against 20th Century Fox's A Cure For Wellness and Warner Bros.' Fist Fight when it hits theaters on February 17. Take a look at the first three pages of The Great Wall: Last Survivor below.

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