"Right now we are totally prepared to start distributing to booksellers in Ireland, once we finalise a deal, " said Tony Sansone, the 22-year-old founder of Arcadius Press, based in Missouri, USA. "We're already set to start retailing in the UK later this year, so Ireland is the next step for us. We already have a great fan base in Singapore, Australia and Canada, as well as the States."

Comic book heroes have reached new heights of popularity in recent years with cinematic adaptations of Batman, Spiderman, X-men and Sin City becoming top draws at the box office. Arcadius Press is eager to use that popularity to immerse young Catholics in the exciting lives of the superheroes in their Stories of the Saints range.

"Our aim is to spread the message of the lives of the saints and this is the most effective method with young people, " explained Sansone. "We try to stay as accurate as possible. We don't fictionalise the stories and a significant amount of research goes into each one. But it is a fact that the saints were blessed and could do things above and beyond what a normal person can."

They certainly can. Joan of Arc has superhero tights underneath her tunic to help her in her war against the English, while Rose of Lima is able to rescue her village from invaders with beams of light from the palms of her hands. "I love my life, it's an endless party, " boasts the handsome St Francis of Assisi, who fights valiantly in the Crusades before he is recalled to the Lord. St Ignatius of Loyola also leads a playboy lifestyle before he gets his calling.

"The most important thing about these comics is that we want to show the public how real the saints were, " explained Sansone. "They were real people before they were called, with human flaws and problems."

In the St Brigid of Ireland comic, the patron saint of dairymaids is more saint than superhero, as she battles with her cruel father Dubtach, who is intent on marrying her off. But although Brigid is as hot as Angelina Jolie, there's only one man she wants to marry.

"Brigid is clasping her mother's shoulders, facing her, expression intense and exhilirated, " runs the script, written by Jen Murvin Edwards. "Mother, you understand, don't you? I am a Christian! I long to dedicate my life to the Lord, and to no one else".

While Stories of the Saints are primarily aimed at children and young people, Sansone said that adults also form a significant part of their fanbase. Each month, four new comics are released and for around 10 a month, fans can receive 48 comics a year.

Other saints in the series include St Pachomius, a hermit who set up a monastery in the fourth century, St Antony of Padua (definitely the muscliest monk in the series), St Stanislaus of Krakow, St Nicholas, St Josephine of Africa and our very own St Patrick. "You will notice that our saints are all very culturally diverse and that was very important to us, " said Sansone. "That way there's something for all our fans to relate to."