This is a comic book that I wanted to review a few weeks ago, but it sold out and I had to wait to get second printing. Non Player #1 from Image is an action fantasy comic set in a video game world. The story opens with a convoy transporting Queen Fendra to the Riftlands. A human, Dana, and her Elvin companion stake out the group from a high ridge before deciding to plunge in.
An incredible sword throw takes down the Queen’s transport beast, and with the guard scrambling to protect her, the two attackers charge in. Dana leads a furious attack with a double sided blade that can also rotate to create one broad sword. She takes down a pile of guys before getting her self tangled up during the fight. That’s when her elf partner jumps in to lend a hand with his two small swords. Things seem to be going their way, only to have victory snatched away from them in the end.
Once the battle is over, the two adventurers reconvene in a huge parlor with a giant glass ceiling. This is a virtual meeting place outside of the game, but within the system. The room is inhabited with robots, tiny animals racing cars around, floating whales, and a small dinosaur destroying a model city. After a quick debriefing on the fight, Dana floats off to join the real world.
In the real world she lives in an average, messy apartment with her sister and mother. Dana is kind of testy with her mom, and the two seem to be a little exacerbated with each other. And now Dana has to rush off to her job at a Mexican fast food restaurant. While she rides off to work she activates a “lifeskin” that lets her see her real world as the fantasy world that she plays in.
Non Player #1 is a cool comic that gives you a little tease of this world. The game world has fanciful armor and weapons, and incredible war beasts. The head of the guard was riding some sort of dinosaur/rhino creature. And Dana has a winged flying cat of some sort. And the action is pretty intense. And while the game characters are very much of that world, Dana and her friend have out of game chatter, talking about game strategy, and who else they could pull online, while they interact in this world. There are also some hints that the world could be taking on a life of it’s own. The real world scenario is short, but it ads some more texture to Dana, and I hope that we see more of her outside of the game.
Nate Simpson wrote and created all of the art for this comic. The story is fun with some fast action sequences, and also some characters moments as well. The story is just a glimpse of this world, but there are some hints that there could be more going on. And it has me wanting to know more. And I want to find out more about Dana. I enjoyed reading that little bit of out of game character of her as much as I liked seeing her in action in the game. I also like how the players are handled in game. Having them being aware that they are in a game, and talking about the game, instead of just being totally absorbed into becoming the game, is a fun take on the gamers.
The art is gorgeous. The characters designs are excellent, and the creature designs are awesome. The drawing is incredible with beautiful colors. I’m definitely buying the next issue.
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