The ideal video game comic book should allow readers who have never played the video game to experience and enjoy the characters and atmosphere of the video game, while adding extra enjoyment for the game’s faithful. Uncharted only gets one of these two things right, but offers a touch more of something I’ve rarely felt in a video game comic…it actually made me want to play the game.
Uncharted
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Sergio Sandoval
Ink: Pol Gas
Colors: Ikari Studio
Editor: Ben Abernathy
You would think selling more game units would be part of the goal in a comic book adaptation of a video game, but the sad truth is most video game comics are so poorly treated that they actually leave readers and gamers with a poor taste in their mouths. I have not played the Uncharted games prior to reading these comics, and unfortunately, providing a real look at who the main character, Nathan Drake, is or why I should give a damn about him wasn’t as well presented as a new character in a new medium should be; the overall vibe of the “Uncharted universe” left me wanting to explore Drake and his adventures further.
After playing the Uncharted games, the comic book counterpart is as proper a campaign as video game comics come. Though even with the comic’s plot being completely separate from the games, even taking place before the first game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune issue #1 leaves very little reason for non-gamers to continue on with issue #2, but it’s the Indiana Jones-like sense of adventure that perked my personal interest so heavily.
Long time Uncharted fans will immediately pick up on Drake’s attitude and sensibilities, and new readers, for better or worse, will sense the almost typical nature of such a crook/adventurer. Overall, the writing is not too inspired, but it’s not at all a bad 20 pages of comic book. My favorite part about this series is how each issue kicks off with a crazy 10 page set up, then takes you back in time to show you how Drake and the gang arrived at their conundrum. It’s almost sitcom-like, which is not a bad thing, and it adds to the already great cinematic feel of Sergio Sandoval’s art.
Depending on if this…I don’t know, I almost want to say genre…of Tomb Raider meets Indiana Jones concept could maybe grab your interest, then Uncharted is definitely a series that will leave you wanting to do your own exploring in the game. Though if you’re not much of a video game player, Uncharted is easily skipped, not only for its source material, but its generic writing. Uncharted is only on issue #3 of its 6 issue run, and I don’t particularly believe the next 3 issues will prove itself to be a hit series. It’s definitely a decent video game comic…though that’s still not saying very much.
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Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net
@andrewEhurst
I got into this series because I liked the games which are fantastic. I knew I was taking a risk and you know what? I won’t be going past the 2nd issue even though it was better than the first. But that’s not saying too much. It wasn’t horrible, just not too exciting of a read.