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Review: ‘The Last of Us: American Dreams’ # 2

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11 years ago

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Neil Druckmann & Faith Erin Hicks’ “The Last of Us: American Dreams” serves as the prequel to one of the most anticipated video games of 2013. While the comic doesn’t hold the same weight as the source material it’s based on, it serves as an okay introduction into the world. This prequel is enticing in places which is enough to warrant its existence.

WRITTEN BY: Neil Druckmann & Faith Erin Hicks
ART BY: Faith Erin Hicks
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 29th, 2013

For those of you living under a rock, The Last of Us is Naughty Dog’s newest videogame. The makers of Uncharted have spent years developing a new game in a post apocalyptic wasteland that is overrun by fungal outbreak. American Dreams picks up with one of the protagonists: Ellie, before the events of the game.

Ellie finds herself in a mandatory boarding school. She is immediately branded as an outsider and finds her confined life to be rather boring. After a tumultuous introduction to a fellow student, Riley, Ellie finds herself out in the city.

Riley and Ellie’s adventure through issue two is interesting and fun to read. There are brief moments of characterization peppered throughout the intense backdrop of the destroyed and abandoned city. The mysterious group known as “The Fireflies” is alluded to again, and Riley laments her future. Both characters seem to be a physical match for one another as they traipse through the city.

Some time is spent in an abandoned mall. However, the real meat of the issue comes from the introduction of Riley’s friend. Riley has befriended an old man living in the mall, that she calls Winston. Winston is kind, and looks to be a grizzled warrior. He ends up taking Ellie for a brief horseback ride, only to be called off into adventure.

The plot kicks into high gear on the final pages and sets up the remainder of the arc. I’m interested to see how Ellie will eventually part ways with Riley. Since I know Riley is nowhere to be found in the game. Things are only going to get worse before they get better, which is always good from a story standpoint.

Hicks’ art is quite simplistic, but very clean. Often times it reminded me of a colorful Scott Pilgrim esque world. At first I wasn’t sure if the art suited the story. That said, her art allows the story to achieve a very brisk pace, and when she uses gore, it works to great effect beside her clean presentable characters and coloring choices.

Overall “The Last of Us: American Dreams” is gearing up to be a worthy prequel. The first two issues do nothing but develop characters. Which is good, but even a flimsy plot would be nice. As it stands the story develops quite predictably, and doesn’t do a whole lot to tell its own story in this world, at least not yet. The next two issues will truly be the testament to whether or not this story was worth telling. Yet, I’m so engrossed in the world and the character of Ellie that I eagerly await the next two issues, just not as eagerly as I await the game itself.

2.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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7 hours ago

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April 17, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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