Depressing yet exhilarating, horrific yet funny, “Wolfenstein” #1 is a roller coaster of emotions that brings fans and newcomers alike into the world of the eponymous franchise.
Written by Dan Watters“Cover
Illustrated by Piotr Kowalski and Ronilson Freire
Colored by Brad Simpson and Greg Menzie
Lettered by Jonathan StevensonWritten by Dan Watters (Assassin’s Creed, Limbo) dive headfirst into the alternate universe of Wolfenstein, a world where the Nazis won the war thanks to super-advanced killing machines and vicious robot dogs. B.J. Blazkowicz returns to take on the Nazis in this new comic, based on the much beloved gaming franchise.
Can Blazko stop the march of goose-stepping boots? Or will the sinister Hans Hartmann get his way?
Before we start anything, let’s be clear: Godwin’s Law is officially on hold, as it would have to be for Wolfenstein.
Dan Watters does double duty in “Wolfenstein” #1, both painting the hellish nightmare that is post-World War II America to be shown in the upcoming Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and the intrigue-filled warzones of 1946. Through the Professor and Dr. Emilie Wagner, Watters calls forth a diverse combination of emotional responses. Early scenes provide readers with a senses of extreme despair over what had been lost to the Nazi war machine since 1948, utilizing narration boxes to showcase a variety of people’s thoughts.
The female, Caucasian woman’s recollection of an African American man’s wartime experiences as a civilian are not only upsetting, but downright demoralizing when put into a perspective of it being a “dime a dozen,” not to mention rage-inducing. On the other hand, those undercover, including scenes by both the Professor and Dr. Wagner, give an intense sense of nervousness with the focus on intrigue. From the secret camp of “degenerates” at the Sanctuary to Dr. Wagner’s need to stay safe as a deep cover scientist from the scientifically advanced Da’at Yichud, Watters manages to use these scenes to easily put readers on edge.
That said, not all is doom and gloom, even in such a dark story. Watters uses the two women who serve as the protagonists of this story to form a comedic duo, with the addled mind and factual errors of Dr. Wagner playing well against the Professor, who acts as her “straight woman” counterpart and an effective audience surrogate. By contrast, William Joseph “B.J.” Blazkowicz is shown as something of a flat character, a stoic, taciturn Nazi-hating American soldier. While for some stories, this lack of complexity would weaken the plot, Watters’ portrayal of “Blazko” is in line with most of the games before hardship brought his guard somewhat down, and the supporting cast around him serves as an effective foil to make him more interesting to watch, even barring his basic role as an escapist character. Furthermore, the straightforward nature of his personality, with his single-minded focus on killing as many fascists as possible, adds its own kind of self-referential humor, given how simple Blazkowicz’s goal is when contrasted against the complexity around him.
Furthermore, Watters uses this story to give a refresher on the entire Wolfenstein storyline since 2009. Aside from his use of a summary to The New Order, his writing gives a rather hefty, but manageable collection of nods to the games, making for a good, basic refresher on the storyline. Interestingly, “Wolfenstein” #1 provides lore aficionados with a mix between the highest science of the 1946 Third Reich and relatively sane, but still dangerous depths of its more uncontrolled paranormal sector, sides that more often were held as nearly diametrically opposed to one another.
Piotr Kowalski and Romilson Freire make efficient use of facial dialogue and lighting. The warm smiles of some Nazi troops showcase their attempts at common decency while the writing demonstrates their misogyny, and the confused anguish of the SS Paranormal Division’s Hans Hartmann in the midst of his veil-induced reverie is written clearly on his face before he comes to, demonstrating that while he is definitely villainous, he is almost sympathetic in how far over his head he truly has allowed his research to go.
Meanwhile, the lighting in the meeting between Hartmann and the Special Projects Division’s Dr. Arnold Weber has a lighting and perspective that combine to have light shine upon the two leaders as if they were at home in their environment, while everyone else is in shadow, demonstrating the difference between a meeting of equals who respect one another and their more apparently disposable underlings.
Continued belowAided by the brilliant coloring talents of Brad Simpson and Greg Menzie, the two illustrators put readers through a gauntlet of emotions just as Watters does the same with his writing. Art and colors work together to turn a single Panzerhund (mechanical attack dog) into a nightmare, jaws filled with fresh red blood as it jumps forth, the crying initial image of the daydreaming Professor showing how powerless the common person was against such mechanical monstrosities. Colors also work well to show other parts of the tone.
The calm, natural lighting of the initial view of the Sanctuary provides readers with a sense of security, only for the looming shadow of the Nazi airships to blot out both hope and security as easily as the splashes of blood demonstrate how vulnerable the common people are in this situation. The dark corners of the Thule monument and its relatively unseen monsters from beyond the veil work together with the tentacles and Hartmann’s outright eldritch nightmares to provide a sense of cosmic horror, while the sickening greens, dour blues, and distracting yellows of the laboratory leave readers feeling unsettled in another sense.
Both drawing attention to the antagonists’ horrors and showing hints of comedy and heroism throughout its narrative and artwork, “Wolfenstein” #1 provides a good look into the an alternate World War II and its aftermath in preparation for its upcoming tie-in game.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – “Wolfenstein” #1 gives a good look into the world of Wolfenstein, providing some classic action along with a hefty dose of spy fiction and the series’ wacky superscience.
