THE LAST SESSION #3, from Mad Cave Studios on February 23rd, 2022, recounts the beginnings of Eric and Shen’s friendship. Meanwhile, Lana is struggling with Cassandra’s presence in the game.
The Details
- Written By: Jasmine Walls
- Art By: DOZERDRAWS
- Colors By: DOZERDRAWS
- Letters By: Micah Myers
- Cover Art By: DOZERDRAWS
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: February 23rd, 2022
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Was It Good?
THE LAST SESSION #3 is an issue about friends. Friends who’re struggling with life changes, outside influences, and feelings unrequited. Does that make it a good issue? Well, that depends on what you’re looking for in a comic.
If you’re looking for a comic where friends learn about each, grow with each, through a common love of a D&D-style game, you get a teeny bit of that in this issue. The majority of the story takes place in the real world, and it’s a safe mix of flashbacks to the early stages of friendship and a present view of Cassandra’s disruptive (for some) presence in the group.
Lana is the strongest antagonist as the person most put off by Cassandra and her “amateurish” approach to the game. Lana’s angst over Cassandra appears to be rooted in jealousy over Jay, but it’s not clear if Lana is jealous simply for losing priority with a good friend or if Lana has romantic feelings for Jay and she sees Cassandra as a threat to her future chances to be with Jay.
If this sounds like a lot of High School shenanigans, you’d be right. It sounds like it because that’s how this reads. In a way, the struggle with this comic is the challenge relating to adults who still (for the most part) act like immature teenagers. It’s not the gaming that makes them immature, it’s the across-the-board inability for the characters to pick up on social cues and process their feelings in grown-up ways.
This struggle is not necessarily a down point, but it does make the reading experience challenging because it’s hard to know who to support, root for, or get behind. For you, maybe that’s okay, and you may find a certain delight in reading about characters who don’t necessarily have their act together but are trying to figure things out. In a way this feels like an odd YA comic in that the adult characters are acting like YA characters in adult bodies, so your ability to relate may vary.
The art by DOZERDRAWS is a good match for this source material. It’s safe and pleasant with nary a sharp edge or heavy shadow to be found anywhere, keeping the tone and mood light but for the emotional facial expressions. Positively, this art feels like a cartoon aimed at the upper YA and early adult crowd.
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 a flashback to Eric in 10th grade as he discusses his future with his parents. They want the best for him and urge him to start getting serious about college and his career path. Later, Eric and Shen meet in the game group and talk about Shen’s disorganized love life, dovetailing into a forced PSA for adopting an asexual lifestyle, complete with pamphlets. The moment turns into an opportunity for Eric and Shen to grow their relationship outside of the gaming group.
Now, Shen and Eric see a puzzled Cassandra in a grocery store. When they say “hi”, Cassandra explains she’s perplexed by Lana’s attitude toward her. Eric and Shen suspect Lana is behaving in a standoffish way because unhappy with Cassandra and Jay’s relationship.
Later, the group gets together to kick off the Last Session. We conclude the issue with old friends immediately getting into a groove, new friends suspect something is amiss during the hunt for a necromancer, and lack of preparation puts all friends in hot water.
Final Thoughts
THE LAST SESSION #3 consistently hits the intended target of friends who have difficulty growing and maturing in their relationships and with their emotions. Readers may struggle to relate to the characters, but that may be a selling point, depending on the type of comic you’re looking for. The art is a good fit for this type of story, maintaining the safe mood and tone of the plot.
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