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As a major fan of Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn video game, it was thrilling to hear that a comic based on it was in the works! Set in the amazing setting of the game, the HZD comic is meant to continue the story of the game's alternate future world, expanding on the story while still holding true to what made it such a success int he first place. If you're unfamiliar with the world of the Horizon Zero Dawn game this comic is based off of, don't sweat it! There's plenty of filler pages to give the reader all the pertinent information about this incredible world and its well thought out societies. It wasn't until the Free Comic Book Day bonus "zero issue" that I discovered this whole series is written by one of the writers from the original HZD game, Anne Toole. Toole was one member on a female-heavy team of story writers and world builders in charge of building the story and world of the game. I have full confidence in her ability to not only replicate the unique qualities of the HZD world, but to translate that elegantly into comic form. On the artistic side, the interiors of this series are handled by Ann Maulina. Maulina is an artist from Indonesia who specializes in game design and web comics, which makes her a perfect fit for this comic. With Anne Toole and Ann Maulina backing up an incredible already established universe, this is one mini-series you won't want to miss. In-article links are provided beyond the cut for navigation, as well as some fun reference pictures, so Continue Reading for the ongoing review! As this is a full review, SPOILERS AHEAD!
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Free Comic Book Day 2020: Horizon Zero Dawn #1 (#0 to the series) (available now!)
Free Comic Book Day 2020: Horizon Zero Dawn #1 (#0 to the series) (in stores now!)
<please note much of #0 review was taken from the Pick List reviews of 7/22/20, which opens in a new tab> I will be the first to admit I didn't know this "zero issue" was happening until I saw it on the shelves this week. Due to the unusual COVID-19-induced situation in the comics industry this year, the annual Free Comic Book Day did not happen. Usually taking place the first Saturday of May (as to not compete with the paid book releases on Wednesdays), it was at some point decided the free comics will be released over the course of several Wednesdays throughout the summer months. Last week, Horizon Zero Dawn #0 was one of the free comics available! The story is written by one of the actual HZD game story writers, Anne Toole, so we can definitely expect a lot of the same accurate female-based plots. On the other end of things creatively is Ann Maulina, who's clear, almost cartoon style of art captures the characters and the world in a totally different way than the game's lifelike CGI animation. It's a completely different look at the same world we know and love, but it fits. Already in this first issue, I can tell Maulina's art style is the perfect match to make the translation from game-to-comic. One specific note on the art design that I LOVED was how our heroine's midriff-baring top is matched on her male counterparts. While I don't honestly recall if this was ever shown in the game, I get the feeling this is Maulina and Toole expanding on the pieces of the many cultures of the HZD world. In any case, this was a design detail I noticed right away, and immediately recognized as a specific feature added for fans of costume design equality like myself. This zero issue follows a new character, Talanah, after game-hero Aloy saves her people from the vicious evil machines. Talanah is the Sunhawk (in charge of assigning hunting contracts and training new hunters) at the Meridian Hunter's lodge, where she follows in her father's footsteps. She is disturbed by the recent, violent attacks on her village from the machine creatures, and to make matters worse, Aloy disappeared from the city just before they needed her again. Combined with the recent machine attacks, Talanah is convinced more trouble is brewing. When a new hunting contract comes to the lodge she runs for a new and very threatening machine, Talanah herself takes up the contract. The issue ends with Talanah heading off alone under the guise of the contract, but hoping to find Aloy, and with her help, stop trouble before it bothers anyone again. As I mentioned in the opener of these reviews, you don't have to be a fan of the game to read and enjoy this comic. Publisher Titan Comics teamed up with game designer from the HZD team at Guerrilla Games Studios to create beautiful informational pages at the beginning and end of this comic. The pages cover how the world came to be as it is, key characters, animal machine types, and more. It makes me think a little of Johnathon Hickman's "white pages" in Dawn of X, with information for catching up any reader. This zero issue made me want to play the game again! I'm not a massive gamer by any means, but HZD and its expansion, the Frozen Wilds, captured my attention like no other. I've spent countless days running around the beautiful open world Guerrilla Games built, even after completing all my missions. I definitely feel like this issue captures the spirit of the game, and look forward to seeing how the story progresses from here. Horizon Zero Dawn #1 comes out August 5th with an amazing cover by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau. You really don't have to know the game at all to join the fun, and this #0 issue is free, so get it while it's still out there!
#1
As a follow-up the the Free Comic Book Day Horizon Zero Dawn #1, this comic does a pretty good job of filling in the reader on what Talanah has been up to since leaving her village. She left with the goal of discovering why her village is having so much trouble with machines, and to try and get ahead of future threats. She's been tracking the dangerous machine from her contract, and it isn't long before she finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place--literally. Talanah knew the risks of going on a solo hunting trip when she took this job, but wouldn't have become to leader that she is if it weren't for incredible skill. Talanah takes to a small cave when a rabid machine attacks, barely able to keep from dying herself as she spears it through the head. Unfortunately, she didn't get away totally scot-free, and winds up fainting after blood loss from a wound to her side.
Talanah wakes in a mysterious shack, filled with all kinds of berries, skins, and other hunter-gatherer supplies. There is food and water for her to take, signaling whoever saved her life didn't want her sticking around. Commotion from outside draws her attention, and she spies members of her hunting lodge, attempting to take down some unruly machines. They aren't faring very well, and Talanah notes that their struggle with hunting is more likely to drawn attention of predators than end up in a useful kill.
It takes some time, but the small group eventually manages to off one machine before taking off themselves. When a small boy wanders into the clearing to scrounge for scraps, Talanah leaps to grab him, warning of the dangers of a machine creature such as this. The young boy brushes her off, saying he knows better than her the dangers of these woods. He warns of her "bad ones", machines that are harder to kill and harder to survive than the usual. He also warns her of a "man in the woods"--some local legend likely made up to scare kids from runing into the wilds. As he finishes speaking, new machine arrives on the scene. Talanah and the boy are unlikely to escape in time, but are saved at the last moment by none other than the Man of the Woods himself!
As it turns out, his name is Amadis, and he isn't very happy with Talanah. He shoos the little boy away, making him promise never to tell of this encounter with the Man in the Woods.
Amadis was the one who saved Talanah's life and wrapped up her wound, sure, but he doesn't hold any kindness towards lodge hunters. He tells her hunters from Meridian, who she just witnessed, come through this area and the nearby villages, killing machines without a care. They do it, he says, not to save the townspeople from harm, but to cater to their own egos, leaving "trophies" scattered about to draw predators and cause more problems for villagers. He encourages her to leave, and to take the Meridan hunters with her, but Talanah is out for more than the one machine on her contract. She tells Amadis of the newer, more vicious machines she's come across. They feature black metal on their bodies, and Talanah is determined to find out where they're coming from and why.
At this point, the story jumps backwards as Talanah recounts the first week of her journey. She had almost immediately run into trouble with the black armored machines, only to be rescued by friend and fellow hunter, Aloy.
There's a beautiful set of panels showcasing Aloy's incredible skill with her hunting staff, an excellent throwback to what made the game so good. The pair take down one beast, and head off on the trail of the second together. While they track, they talk. Upon Aloy's inquiry, Talanah reports she left Meridian to complete a hunting contract, but Aloy sees through it. She knows her friend is so much like her, and there is more to what she's up to. When pried, Talanah admits she needed to get away, that she was restless in Meridian. Aloy is about to delve in to why she left the city so quickly, when the two come across a brutal scene left by the machine they're hunting.
It appears to be an entire caravan, destroyed by a single machine. Aloy believes them to be a new breed, and tracking it down will not only stop its trail of carnage, but maybe give answers to how the machines are evolving. They belive there to be no survivors until a child's voice screams for help. Presumably, the next issue will pick up right where we're leaving off, with Aloy and Talanah saving the child from the new machine!
Maulina's art seems to change the format of this comic ever so slightly from the previous zero issue. This is not so much a critique as an observation, to be clear. I noticed the pacing of this comic was slightly different than the last, and I think it's because of her work as a web-comic artist. There are a few times that the story visually switches in a way that is the tiniest bit rough, if you're familiar with traditional comic paneling. As a web-comic artist, Maulina designs these pages to be read mostly in top-down format, like you would have to on a computer. While this puzzled me momentarily, I felt a lot better about it once I figured that out. That being said, though, it's unfair to make the assumption Maulina is fully in charge of the design of a page, as many writers specify boxing and paneling when scripting comics.
If this issue is an example of what we're getting with the rest of the Horizon Zero Dawn series, I'm absolutely thrilled. An all-female creative team writing female-forward stories about strength, responsability, and adventure, backed by a gaming company with an incredible reputation and a comics publisher with an unusual amount of women in charge for the industry. I couldn't love this any more if I tried!
The "A" cover featured Talanah and Aloy as drawn by Stanley "ArtGerm" Lau, with variants by Ann Maulina and Peach Momoko. Momoko is a Japanese artist who's nae I've come across increasingly often in the past three or so months, and I highly recommend checking her art out. See you in a few weeks with issue #2!
#2
Without the shadow of a doubt, the creative team has found their mark in Horizon Zero Dawn #2. The issue starts off where we last left the series, with Talanah recounting her first week out on hunt, and the encounter with Aloy that taught her about the new, more dangerous machines. She and Aloy were successful in taking out one of the two machines that wipes out a whole caravan, but the second got away, and now a surviving child of the caravan is at risk. Talanah and Aloy race down the path, and before long find themselves in a race with the machine--them chasing it, it chasing the young girl. She eventually makes it to a tree and climbs to safety, leaving the two older women to finish it off. With a few creative strikes, the hunters do what they do best, and end the beast. From her safe spot in the tree branches, the little girl swings a rock at the dead creature, for good measure. Aloy notes that she has the spirit of a hunter, already. The flashback ends here, and artist Ann Maulina uses the same almost filter-like effect to signal the memory coming to an end. In the current time, Talanah asks the Man of the Woods if that's enough proof that she isn't like the other hunters, and he backs down. Unfortunately for both of them, at this point they're discovered by Kyran, a hunter from Meridian who Talanah had declined to allow take the contract she's currently out on. The group of men with Kyran get them backed onto a cliff, with nowhere to hide! Whether these other hunters are out for revenge or this is just a miscommunication, we'll have to wait until next month to find out!
#3
The issue starts off where the second ended, with Talanah and Amadis cornered in a cliff by Kyran and some rogue hunters. Kyran claims Amadis is a famous trailer of the Southern Spear, with a large bounty on his head. Before Talanah can clarify, Amadis grabs them both and throws them over the edge of the cliff, into the water below. There is little to no text over the pages of them floating down the river, just them finding their way to safety in silence. The art is beautifully clear, with the blue tones of the river contrasting sharply against the red and orange in their outfits and the tan of their skin. When they pull themselves up on opposite banks, Amadis admits he owes her an explanation. They find their way to a cave to dry themselves and their clothes. Talanah notes aloud that they should leave as soon as their fire-arrows dry, to avoid running into the terrifying, powerful new beast again. They’re calling it the “hunter killer”, appropriately. When she gets back to questioning Amadis’ reasons for pulling them both off the cliff, he gets sheepish, and admits he didn’t want her to hear anything about his Oath-breaker past from Kyran. Again in this issue, the art changes ever so slightly with the coming flashback, giving the panels a slight dizziness of memory. Diving into the story, we learn the Amadis was raised a wealthy Meridian son, and naively joined ranks during the Red Raids. Knowledge from the game and context from the art tells the Red Raids, a violent attempt at Meridian conquering the western territories, seen as Savage. Amadis tells of how he was horrified at the slaughter he was a part of. When he tried to stop another soldier from killing a wounded “enemy,” he ends up meeting the love of his life, Nessa. Meridian didn’t have women in their armies, so she disguised herself as a man. They kept each other’s secrets, saves the innocents they could, and fell in love. One fateful night, Amadis learns of a terrible battle plan that would end in the slaughter of the soldiers—including Nissa. For Amadis, this is the last straw, and he ends up killing the commanding officer. But the attack had already been sent out, and he was too late to save any of his fellow soldiers. With the art changing back to the standard clear present, Amadis finishes his story to Talanah. The story changed her perspective, and she insists that he’s a better man than he claims to feel. He isn’t so sure, so she dives into her own story from the past. She says after her father spoke out against the Red Raids, their family had to flee. But her father and brother were captured and forced to fight machines in the “Sun-Ring,” their version of a gladiator ring. Eventually, her family perished saving onlookers from a rogue machine. Her family was banned from the lodge, so Talanah dedicates her life to training to be a hunter. She became so skilled, they couldn’t deny her right to be Sunhawk like her father. Talanah says this redeemed her family not because of the changes she’s been able to enact since becoming Sunhawk, but because this is her way of honoring her family’s sacrifice, and never letting them be forgotten. She goes on to say that Amadis could say the same for his own life, and honoring Nissa. This scene was surprisingly heavy, and made me think of a saying about death. There are two deaths: one when you die, and one when the last person says your name. In choosing to honor her family by being Sunhawk, Talanah is making sure her father and brother will never have that final death. Suddenly, Amadis hears an intruder, and the pair of hunters find the hunter-killer sneaking through their cave. In a swift movement, Talanah hits her target and takes out the beast in one move. But still, she is uneasy. Questioning what the machine was doing in the cave, Talanah follows the trail into darkness. The cave turns out the be a Cauldron, another feature from the game, where machines are created. This means the hunter-killer was probably made here, and more can be made at any point. They come up with a plan to block the door, but it requires getting out of the cave, and Kyrian and his men are blocking the exit. Just when they turn to find another way out, the room shudders, and a massive, moss covered Shellsnapper emerges from the water! With only one issue left in this mini-series, I have to wonder how this will all be wrapped up in one issue. Granted, this one felt like it contained far more content than the last. The exploration the these moral, decent characters in this post-apocalypse world is intriguing, to say the least. They’re so different from many of the people around them, like they are the next step in evolution of human compassion.
#4
The final issue of the Horizon: Zero Dawn game's first comic follow-up series turned out to be a fairly thick issue, as I picked it up from my local comic shop. The cover features art by Japanese artist Peach Momoko, one of the newer big names in current comic cover art stars. I remember hearing her name for the first time some time in early 2020, and ever since I have, I haven't stopped seeing and hearing it repeated. It was almost as if the entire industry, and it's fans, caught on at the same moment that I did, and her art has been on an amazing amount of comic covers across a variety of publishers ever since. As a fairly big fan of the game, I was stupendously pleased with how this Horizon: Zero Dawn spin-off worked out--I just wish it was more than four issues; five, if you include the Free Comic Book Day 2020 "zero" issue, which goes for between two and four dollars on eBay, if you missed it. But, the ending of this series brought news of another: Horizon Forbidden West will be a mini-series coming in 2021! With that in mind, the way this final issue played out was perfect, leaving visible room for the next series to pick up. This issue starts exactly where the last left off, sticking with the format of the first few issues. And where we left was not an easy place--Talanah and Amadis trapped in a cave between a massive Shellsnapper and Kyrian, the vengeful rogue hunter set on turning in Amadis for prize money and taking over Talanah's job as Sunhawk of their hunting lodge. Speaking in hushed tones, Talanah tells Amadis she's never encountered a Shellsnapper before, so likely neither has Kyrian--a fact they can use to their advantage in an escape. From here, much of the issue is action. Ann Maulina's clean artwork is backed by colors from Bryan Valenza, bringing the world of Horizon Zero Dawn to life. As Talanah and Amadis fight their way out of the cave, and then strategize their way out of the messy fight brought outside, Maulina's art and paneling makes quick work of complicated efforts. The quick pace of these action pages are slowed by Talanah's overarching thoughts of the fight, and a slow moment of absolute silence is found in a gorgeous underwater shot of her and Amadis sharing the briefest moments of togetherness before surfacing for more action. To beat the creature, and the rogue hunters lead by Kyrian, the pair allow the former to defeat the latter, then Talanah uses her Sunhawk skills to cut open the neat's underbelly, killing it. Valenza's colors shine particularly on the pages of the Shellsnapper in sunlight, its green blood flowing into the pool of water, and the lighting of the final sequence, when Amadis says his farewell. He is leaving for the Forbidden West, to try and find some peace about the death of his Carja lover, Nessa. Amadis picks a flower from the field outside his ancestral home, giving it to Talanah to remember him by. They agree to contact one another again in two month's time, and he heads off. The final page would make a gorgeous poster, showing a much matured Talanah staring into the sunset, holding Amadis' flower, smiling to herself about the incredible journey she just experienced. I'm not sure who will be the creative team on the 2021 Forbidden West series, but I can guess how it will start. As Amadis left for the Forbidden West saying he'll write in a few months, the series will no doubt start with Talanah either receiving correspondence to come help him, or not receiving any and heading out to make sure he's okay. We don't yet know if Toole and Maulina are continuing that series themselves, but I definitely hope they stay on board! I'm impressed with the relationship they developed between Talanah and Amadis, as well. They meet as enemies, practically, with him trying to get her out of the forest, not wanting anything to do with her. But as they keep having to step in an save one another almost immediately, they start acclimating to each other, and clear signs of attraction build. When Amadis recalls the tragic story of his former love, and her untimely death, there is no jealousy, no broken heart. Talanah supports his feelings, legitimizes them, and accepts them. Her healthy response to his loss only strengthens their bond and attraction, so when he leaves Talanah for his journey West to settle his restless soul over his former lover, she supports his decision, again. Talanah doesn't forget, at any point, that we are all created from the experiences we go through. Every part of Amadis' past is what makes him the man she is falling for, and vice-versa. The characterization of Talanah as the lead in this Horizon Zero Dawn comic was done attentively and thoughtfully. As a female leader in her patriarchal community, she earned her title after clearing her father's name, one of many stupendous facets of her character. When she learns of a new, more dangerous machine attacking people, she doesn't give the job to anyone else, she takes it herself. She does this not because of her ego, but because she innately knows something is wrong in her world, and as leader, it's her job to find it out and do her best to fix it. Already, those are two points showing a great sense of responsibility in Talanah, integral to every commander, president, and emperor. As she goes on her journey in these five issues, Talanah continually shows not only great skill as a fighter, but great wisdom in her choices and judgments, great empathy to those suffering around her, and the ability to continue to lead properly through dissent, terror, and hardship. Aside from just Talanah, it was absolutely phenomenal to see a story set in a fantasy/science fiction world where the men and women had the same outfits. As soon as the zero issue for Free Comic Book Day, it was made clear that while this society is primarily patriarchal, their costume design isn't. We meet the dreaded Kyrian in Talanah's hunting lodge, and standing next to one another, you can see that both outfits feature the same torso gap in their armor. The outfit designs of the Horizon: Zero Dawn game were starkly original and beautifully thought through, marking each faction of the remaining world with identifiable clothing traits, often intertwined with animal machine parts, just like their weaponry. If there is one major take away of this mini-series, it is that it makes me want to play Horizon: Zero Dawn again on PS4. I'm not a gamer by any means--I wasn't raised with a controller in my hands, like many millennials. I purchased my first console in 2017, the PS4 I still have now, which should say a few things about my gaming history, or rather the lack thereof. But Horizon: Zero Dawn remains to this day the one game I've discovered that has truly enthralled me, entertained me, and made me a lifelong fan. While there has yet to be much (if any legitimate) news on a full second Horizon: Zero Dawn game, this series filled the gap that completing The Frozen Wilds left. Toole and Maulina did a phenomenal job of replicating the feel of the game environment, in both story and art. I already cherish these five comic issues, and am practically tapping my foot waiting for more! It has become such an excellent way of broadening the story and world of the game, and a perfect way to offer that same world to people who aren't interested in gaming, necessarily. I know I've gone over it a few times already, but you really don't need to be familiar with the Horizon: Zero Dawn game in any way to understand this comic. From the Free Comic Book Day issue, the first few pages of each comic goes over the world, the creatures, the society, and the characters, as well as the story so far, making it more than accessible for any age appropriate audience member. While I'm sad that this series is over, I'm going to be on the edge of my seat waiting for more news of the upcoming one! There is a lot going on in the word, and Toole, Maulina, and Valenza have created the perfect story of escapism to pair with that of the Horizon: Zero Dawn game world.
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