NATURE’S LABYRINTH #1, from Mad Cave Studios on November 2nd, 2022, begins the Most Dangerous Game as an eclectic group of eight strangers are unwittingly brought together to survive a maze or die trying.
The Details
- Written by: Zac Thompson
- Art by: Bayleigh Underwood
- Colors by: Warnia Sahadewa
- Letters by: Rus Wooton
- Cover art by: Filya Bratukhin
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 2, 2022
Is It Good?
Well, okay. NATURE’S LABYRINTH #1 is the latest offering from comic writer Zac Thompson about a group of flawed individuals with an expansive array of criminal records and pronouns, brought together through a fake lottery to be fodder for an island death game. The concept isn’t necessarily original (note The Most Dangerous Game reference), so it falls to the execution and the devil in the details to make Thompson’s story unique. Does Thompson pull it off? Technically, yes, but not in the way you might first guess.
The hook that sets Thompson’s version of The Most Dangerous Game apart from any version you’ll likely encounter is the eclectic collection of conscripted contestants, led by Jane Grann aka J. Roe, She/They/Them (side note: we didn’t know it was possible to have three pronouns. Is there a reference guide for this stuff?). Grann stands approximately 6 ft. 2 in., is built like a linebacker, and shows no trace of feminine features, but regularly offers a story about being married and mother to two children. It’s not clear if the family is simply a cover story as Grann appears to be hiding something when the cruise eventually reveals its true purpose.
At the risk of sounding insensitive, Grann is a contradictory collection of identities. There’s nothing wrong with choosing whatever pronouns you wish, but the visual doesn’t match the words. Grann is a somewhat confusing character before the first words are spoken, and when you can’t understand who or what the main character is, it’s very difficult to relate to the main character, which creates an impediment for the reader to get immersed in the story. Rather than focusing on spending the lion’s share of this first issue establishing Grann’s moral and emotional motivations, Thompson went all in on creating a confusing identity.
Does the dialog clear things up? No, not at all. This review has so far focused most of the time on the contradictory nature of the hero(?), but Grann is not a negative in this book, per se. Grann is not relatable, but that could be this reviewer’s personal bias. Other readers may relate to Grann just fine. However, once the talking starts, the story gets a little rough. Every character “sounds” loud, obnoxious, and annoying. Perhaps that was the point since the contestants were selected for their checkered pasts, but for a “The Most Dangerous Game” scenario to create the necessary tension, the reader needs to root for at least one character. So far, there’s no one to root for, and that could be trouble for the series going forward.
As a positive point, the first trap is bloody, gruesome, and deadly. Thompson does an excellent job of not soft-stepping into the maze by showing immediately the consequences of failure. Brutality is a plus in this kind of story, so the down points are offset by the mechanics of the game.
As another positive, Underwood’s art is excellent in this issue. The character designs are distinctive, the movement is kinetic, and Sahadewa’s colors are rich. The quality of this issue is assuredly elevated by the art.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Grann receiving a COVID health check before boarding a cruise ship. The cruise is a prize for a select group of individuals who all have checkered pasts. For the first day or two, the cruise is nothing but comfort and luxury for the eight “winners.”
On morning, the contestants are invited to the captain’s quarters for a special breakfast. The captain abruptly explains the contestants are all animals and are about to be treated as such. The drugged food knocks everyone out.
The contestants wake up on a tropical island. They have exoskeleton packs strapped to their bodies, and a voice comes out of a speaker on the pack to relay instructions – make it through the nearby maze, and all survivors will share in the prize money.
We conclude the issue with consequences for not obeying the rules, booby traps, and the discovery that one contestant is not who they claim.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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NATURE’S LABYRINTH #1 is a modern take on The Most Dangerous Game with excellent art and amusingly deadly traps. However, the eclectic collection of contestants are off-putting or confusing on some level, so the reader has nobody to root for.
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