Reviews 

“Anthem” #1

By | February 21st, 2019
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Comics and video games have always shared an interesting relationship. From more successful adaptations like “Injustice” and some less interesting shots like “Mortal Kombat X”, it seems that creators struggle to capture what works in one medium and transfer it to another. Enter Anthem, a video game made by Bioware, notorious for games with spectacular world building and gameplay driven by narrative. With Bioware’s director Mac Walters onboard to plot with a stellar creative team, will “Anthem” the comic be a video game adaptation success story?

Cover by Eduardo Francisco

Written by Mac Walters and Alexander Freed
Illustrated by Eduardo Francisco
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt

PREQUEL TO BIOWARE’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED GAME! When Kismet’s family is ambushed while traveling between settlements, the young boy is rescued by one of the exosuit-clad warriors known as Freelancers. Now an orphan, it’s up to him and his adoptive sister, Jani, to build a future for themselves–and humanity–on a planet filled with danger.

Walters and Alexander Freed’s story here has the bones of a highly emotional story. At its core, it’s one about an orphan, Kismet, being adopted and accepted into a new family, and living and growing up with them. Kismet goes from being a mute child, to slowly becoming accustomed to his new family, and developing a relationship with his new sister Jani. Walters and Freed put a lot of subtle storytelling into this relationship, one aspect I love is that Jani can’t help but climb objects when she gets emotional, and her family, including Kismet, always point this out. Beyond this, however, Walters and Freed cram a lot of other plot and characters into this issue, to the point where readers begin to question how much of this is relevant. The one time we see a Javelin pilot, the signature Iron Man-esque armors in the video game, is the man who rescues Kismet, seems to have a connection with Jani, but never shows up again for the rest of the issue. There’s also a secondary plot about the declining condition of the two’s grandmother, but it’s only mentioned in passing. We never get to spend enough time with her to develop a meaningful connection, so it seems odd that they would include it at all.

Walters and Freed bring a lot of interesting world building in from the game, making this comic feel like a good soft introduction for potential buyers. I love the opening scene with Yarrow rescuing Kismet from the Scars. Walters and Freed use a poetic narration to tell readers the endless, cyclic lifespans of the Scars, telling that they are essentially immortal and not worth ‘mourning’. Similarly, the stories told of the Anthem, the origin of human life on the planet, are fascinating and told in an interesting campfire-esque way between Kismet and Jani. However interesting all this may be, Walters and Freed don’t give this issue a sense of direction. Sure, there’s a lot of lore and interesting tidbits, and I love the relationship between Kismet and Jani, but the story seems to just be… their lives, up to a point. There are no stakes once you get into the meat of the story, aside from the mentioned-in-passing Grandmother, but the writers don’t seem to be concerned enough with her to give her screen time in this issue. There is something of a complication at the end with Kismet wanting to become a Cypher but readers aren’t told what Cyphers are until the very last page, making it hard to instill a sense of tension.

The art here is handled by Eduardo Francisco, who brings a clean-lined and detailed pencil style to bring the technological world of “Anthem” to life. No better is this represented in how he renders the Javelin armors, and to a lesser extent, the city of Fort Tarsis. The blend of nature and technology is a little jarring at first, with the scene of Yarrow spying on the Scars. The second panel especially features a shot where the Scars outpost pops out significantly more from the rest of the forest, making it almost feel pasted on. Once we get up close and personal, it feels a little more natural. The action is suitably robotic and explosive, with lasers and sparks flying every way possible. When we later see a shot of Yarrow rescuing Kismet in his Javelin, it feels frantic and fun, with Yarrow curving away from the scene, leaving a spiraling wake of rocket energy. Fort Tarsis, as well, feels like a fun and unique setting. On the outside, it has the sheen and looks of a utopian sci-fi city, with high walls and towering spires. Once we get inside on ground level, it feels more like Cairo than something like Star Wars‘ Coruscant. Francisco fills the streets with bustling activity, merchants on every corner and their goods hanging from any available space. Not only this, but there are people moving and living in the streets, giving Fort Tarsis a very authentic feel.

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As good as the technological feel of the comic is, the emotional side of the visuals feel a little more stiff and clunky. Characters are diverse and interesting, but fall pretty squarely into stereotypes with little more meat behind them. Yarrow has the look of a grizzled war-veteran with a ‘surprising’ soft underside although, in all fairness, he appears the whole time covered by his Javelin, occasionally popping the lid of his mask to see his face. Kismet and Jani are a little more interesting, but for the most part, they have the wide-eyed wonder about them. It’s infectiously fun when they are kids, especially as they explore the city together, finding bars and exploring corridors. When they are older, however, they feel a bit more awkward. Their facial features are developed but they still have the same huge eyes that seem to be too big for their heads some times. It makes scenes like the one of Jani and Kismet arguing about Kismet becoming a Cypher hard to take seriously, as Jani’s eyes seem to weigh her whole face down at times.

Michael Atiyeh provides coloring to this issue, giving the world a splash of vibrancy that separates it from other triple-A video game releases. I love that the world of “Anthem” in Atiyeh’s view seems to be perpetually set at dawn, dusk, or the middle of the night, as it gives the whole issue a warming feeling and a splendid glow. Atiyeh’s Fort Tarsis is also a lot of fun, as the clash of urban greys and vibrant merchant silks feels authentic for a city of its type. The shading across the board feels a little unnatural, however. Atiyeh appears to be going for a more painted look most of the time, blend shading with subtle smudge effects and blurred gradients. However, the shading can become totally hard, and give the comic more of a cel-shaded, cartoonish look, which gives the book some visual inconsistencies in tone. It occurs in moments like Jani preparing to eat with her grandmother, which should be emotional but look a little off due to this shading effect.

“Anthem” #1 is a solid introduction to the video game world, and will likely appeal for those about to invest dozens of hours of playtime in the game. There are great character moments and worldbuilding, and the Javelins and technology look as slick as ever. However, as an individual story, it lacks direction and feels a little overstuffed, and the art can at times feel a little odd and artificial. Nonetheless, I’m intrigued to see where the creators take the story from here, and how it may tie into the game itself.

Final Score: 5.9 – “Anthem” #1 is a solid sci-fi debut that will appeal to fans of the upcoming game, but feels directionless and overstuffed as an individual story.


Rowan Grover

Rowan is from Sydney, Australia! Rowan writes about comics and reads the heck out of them, too. Talk to them on Twitter at @rowan_grover. You might just spur an insightful rant on what they're currently reading, but most likely, you'll just be interrupting a heated and intimate eating session.

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