Video game comics suck. It's a proven fact in the comic book industry. Thankfully, we finally have an exception to the rule: DC Comic's premiere issue of Uncharted, based on the video game of the same name. Featuring an original story that takes place between the first and second games, the first issue finds Nathan Drake and his pal Sully hashing out their latest treasure hunt. This time, they're going for the Amber Room, a mysterious room that was stolen from the Russians by the Nazis. Thanks to a journal he finds from the gunfight in the opening of the issue, Drake learns that the Russians got the room back, and hired Richard Evelyn Bird (the first man to fly to the North Pole) to hide it again. Apparently Byrd was a believer in the "Hollow Earth Theory", in which there is a whole other civilization underground (oh, we also see how Nathan meets a certain ally for the first time as well). Cue the "Uncharted" theme, and.....GO!
What makes this issue so awesome is that writer Joshua Willaimson is an obvious fan of the characters. The book feels like a lost adventure that could've been one of the games (Uncharted 1.5?). The dialogue that he writes reads like it would be coming from Nathan Drake's mouth, and the macguffin that Drake and Sully are after is something that is generally intriguing. The only thing that would've made this book feel even more like the games is if the theme song started up when you opened the book up, or if you had to press triangle to turn the page rapidly after a two page ad.
Artist Sergio Sandoval does an impeccable job on art duties, simultaneously making the characters recognizable but his own. His facial work is incredible for the many expressions that the characters make, and his action scenes are very fluid. I cannot recommend Uncharted enough. If you are a fan of the games you NEED to pick this up. With this issue, Nathan Drake has found the true lost treasure: a good comic book based on a video game.
Apparently I'm the only person who works at Jetpack Comics that enjoys Mark Waid's run on Daredevil. After years of being Marvel's whipping boy, I actually enjoy seeing Matt Murdock happy. Seriously, if he was a real person he would've stuck his head in an oven a loooooong time ago.
Anyways, this issue finds ol' hornhead going round two with The Bruiser, a C-list Marvel villain who can change his center of gravity. The fight between the two is really cool, and artist Marcos Martin (who is sadly leaving after this issue) draws it wonderfully. His representation of Daredevil's powers is the coolest I have ever seen, and I am a huge fan of his artwork. I honestly believe that Daredevil is one of the best books Marvel is publishing right now. Daredevil is dead. Long live Daredevil!
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