In HORIZON ZERO DAWN: LIBERATION #1, available from Titan Comics on July 28th, 2021, lead characters from the hit video game, Horizon Zero Dawn, embark on a journey to capture the one responsible for the death of Erend’s sister.
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The Details
- Written By: Anne Toole
- Art By: Elmer Damaso
- Colors By: Bryan Valenza
- Letters By: Jim Campbell
- Cover Art By: Peach Momoko (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: Jly 28, 2021
Was It Good?
It was pretty good. I’m aware of the video game from Sony Interactive and watched clips of the game on assorted platforms, but I’ve never played it. That said, what I have seen is inventive, gorgeously rendered, and sales indicate it’s a very popular game.
The first question most comics readers already familiar with the source material would ask is whether or not it’s as good as the game. Honestly, I don’t know since I’ve never played it, so we review the comic on its own merit as a standalone story.
Toole does a great job setting up the world and characters with a couple of prologue pages that give you an info dump to set the stage. In this case, it was definitely a must to take that approach since it would have taken several issues to get the feel for this unique world, and that’s too much to ask of a new reader.
That said, some of the plot points explained in the prologue about Aloy’s journey up to this point are so interesting, I wish there was a mini-arc or at least a #0 issue to show that part of the story that presumably is the story from the game. In other words, you’re educated about the world but the history seems a little more interesting than the story in this first issue. The first issue isn’t bad at all, but I want to see the story laid out in the history section, too.
Once we get into the action, there are effectively two story points happening. First, Aloy’s search for the cult that interrupted the Proving and has answers about her lineage. Second, Erend’s search for the man who was partly responsible for the death of his sister, Ersa. Of the two, Aloy’s quest takes a back seat, which is odd since she appears to be the main character in most of the promotional materials.
Once we settle on Erend’s quest, the minor down of this issue is that there’s not much to it. Aloy and Erend walk around for a little bit and that’s all. The rest is left to Erend’s flashback tale of how Ersa was captured and killed (maybe) by Sun-King Jiran. Therefore, if you pick up this comic looking for the further adventures of Aloy, you actually wind up with a lengthy story about Erend’s sister, and that seems to miss the point of adapting an existing property.
However, the story is well-written, well-paced, and has plenty of good dialog.
The art by Damaso and the team looks great. Character designs are original and fit the world organically. Campbell’s lettering is top-notch, and this is a visually engaging comic.
The one down is the palette selection on the coloring. There is so much orange and brown that it mutes the overall look of the comic. It would have helped to add in some blues and greens to give it some pop. Otherwise, it’s a beautiful-looking first issue.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We catch up with Aloy and Erend, the main protagonists from Horizon Zero Dawn, as they help each other on their respective quests. Aloy is searching for the murderous cult with answers about her ancestry. Erend is on a manhunt for the man partly responsible for his sister’s capture and death (maybe) at the hands of the Sun-King Jiran.
When their quests hit a figurative fork in the road, Aloy agrees to put her quest on hold to help Erend since he needs her tracking powers to find his prey. As they walk Erend tells the tale of how his sister was captured.
Ersa, Erend’s sister, was part of a raiding party that attacked Carja convoys to free slaves and sacrifice fodder. During one such raid, Dervahl, the raiding party’s leader, successfully freed the slaves. Ersa, however, was captured.
Later, we see Ersa cast into a gladiator arena for the Sun-Kin Jiran’s amusement… with unexpected results.
Final Thoughts
HORIZON ZERO DAWN: LIBERATION #1 expertly captures the tone, look, and world of the video game. However, the odd choice of story focus (Erend’s sister) makes this issue feel more like a spin-off tie-in rather than a continuation.
Score: 8/10
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