In EMULATOR #1, three teenage boys skip school to play a brand new video game. Unfortunately, an electrical short and a shoving match accidentally brings the game’s main villain to life. It’s all fun and games until the video game villain comes alive to take over your world.
The Details
- Written By: Toben Racicot
- Art By: Emiliana Pinna
- Colors By: Tankitha Joy
- Letters By: Toben Racicot
- Cover Art By: Emiliana Pinna
- Cover Price: $4.75 USD for Digital on Kickstarter
- Release Date: August 2021 (Estimated)
Was It Good?
It’s a good start to the series, with room for growth and a little refinement. Pinna’s art style suits the concept well, and Joy’s coloring work is the artistic highlight of this first issue.
Where the issue could use some tweaking is in the dialog and some of the character reactions to events as they unfold.
The dialog doesn’t feel natural or organic in several spots. When two or more characters should be conversing, it reads more like a written explanation being passed back and forth. It’s not awful but it is noticeable.
On character reactions, several times the characters have a surreal event happen but they seem un-phased by it. There should be stronger reactions of shock or fear or surprise when characters simply move into the next scene, almost dismissive of the enormity of what just happened.
Again, this is an early review and there’s time to adjust, so don’t take these observations as the final word on this inaugural issue. There’s a lot to like here.
For the backstory on how this idea came about, read our interview with EMULATOR creator Toben Racicot.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Cal and Russ skip school to play the latest release of a much-anticipated video game. Their friend, Dan, stayed in school to provide excuse cover and rushes to meet them as soon as he can.
During a rough scuffle over who gets the next turn, an electrical short zaps the game console, and the game’s villain, Doctor Maelstorm, explodes from the screen into the living room. Dan’s father arrives with burgers, but before he opens the door, Doctor Maelstrom rushes out through a side door.
Maelstrom’s escape was an assumption that isn’t verified until later. It’s a weird transition because he’s there in one panel and gone the next. You can see the creators were going for a little bait-n-switch where the boys get the blame for the mess with an unbelievable cause, but it’s not handled well because you never see Maelstrom exit. This entire scene could have benefited from either an extra panel showing the exit or a caption box with a short blurb of explanation.
Dan’s father convinces the boys to sit and watch a baseball game while they eat the burgers he brought home, hoping for a little teenager/adult bonding time. It doesn’t go as well as planned and the boys leave to play more video games before the baseball game is over.
The next scene is a perfect example of a bizarre reaction. The boys clean up the mess from the small explosion but they don’t speak about a video game villain appearing in the world at all. They’re concerned about bailing on Dan’s dad, possibly getting in trouble for skipping school, and are hyper-focused on setting their game console up to keep playing. It’s very bizarre to have this monumental thing happen, and yet, they practically ignore that it happened.
We later learn Dan’s dad is a police officer, and he leaves to answer a call for backup about a break-in at the local power station. Somehow, the boys conclude the break-in is Doctor Maelstrom on the hunt for more power. It’s unclear how they were able to make the connection.
The police reach the power station and find Doctor Maelstrom siphoning off electricity. Maelstrom shoots power bolts from his hands to pin the police down. When Dan’s dad arrives, he rams Doctor Maelstrom to knock him out.
Without giving away the ending, Doctor Maelstrom (without his helmet on) looks familiar, Lionheart (the video game hero) also looks familiar, and Doctor Maelstrom’s appearance is not a singular event.
Final Thoughts
EMULATOR #1, on Kickstarter now, takes the concept of fictional characters coming to life and gives it a fresh, modern twist. The surprise ending leaves questions that beg for answers. With a little fine-tuning, this will be a darn fun comic.
Score: 7/10
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