Overwatch: Anthology Volume 1 HC

Overwatch Digital Comics

by Blizzard Entertainment, Matt Burns, Robert Brooks (Writer)

From Soldier: 76 to Ana, Tracer to Symmetra, discover the backstories behind Overwatch's most popular heroes! This hardcover anthology collects the first twelve issues of Blizzard Entertainment's digital Overwatch comics and features an all-star creative team, including Matt Burns, Robert Brooks, Micky Neilson, Nesskain, Bengal, and more. Whether you are a beginner or a Grandmaster, this anthology is an essential companion to Overwatch gameplay!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Video Games, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, LGBT

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2017

About the author

Blizzard Entertainment is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California, and a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard.

The company is well known for creating the Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch franchises, and regularly publishes related novels, comics, and art books.

Reviews

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review by my co-blogger. You can also read it here on the blog.

Ah, Overwatch. The only place where telling the time on your stopped wristwatch is foreshadowing mass manslaughter (at least, you hope so)



Don't you wonder where it all started for our rag-tag band of heroes / villains / ... Wait, why are you here? Well never mind that. This Anthology is essentially a mashup of various official Blizzard Entertainment Overwatch comics that venture into the lives of our characters and the events they're part of, so we'll probably get a linear story out of this, I'm sure of it! The important thing for now is that finally, in book form, we have all the answers to our questions. Why did they join Overwatch? When? What are their origins, yep, all our answers lie within these covers. Or do they?



So did it meet hopes and expectations?

Really, the answer to that is both yes and no. The fact is, if you were hoping for an actual progressive story to start forming within the background of these panels, you'll be pretty disappointed. That's not to say there is no story, there's tons, but it's all scrambled, from the order of presentation to the setting and mood of each piece. Blizzard are clearly very careful not to blur any lines, if they want you to understand something about a character, you will immediately recognise it, but if they feel that it's not in their interests to put that heavily shipped fan theory to rest one way or another, well, keep hoping, OK? Your head canon will work someday!



The Tactical Visor led to some real gems though.

So I want to make it clear, I LOVE these comics, they clearly focus on the re-launching of Overwatch, so we get a fresh approach from "where did they start" to "where are they now?" If you've followed the lore up to this point, boy you're in for a treat, get ready for an Earthshatter cause these are breaking some serious ground. While they don't create a vivid sense of progression and direct understanding for each hero, we do learn to feel the characters here, and we're lucky enough to follow the trail of our old soldiers a little further than the rest, so in that way, it's definitely well accompanied by a cup of tea.



Alright Ebil. That's all great, but, where's the Bastion?

OK, so there are some problems and this is why I can't bring myself to give it a 4+ star review! As is usually the case with game lore, these comics are just too sparse in terms of length and content. Not only do we end up without a real sense of "place" in the story, but we find more questions than answers. Despite having trawled the internet for lore, some of the concepts referenced are simply too vague due to a reluctance to lock themselves into a certain path or history. You can't really blame them, but when someone perhaps less well-versed sees the gorgeous artwork (which is 10/10 btw) and looks into it, I would imagine they'd be more lost and disappointed than I was. It definitely suffers from "pre-requisite knowledge" and I can't overlook that. Even with the knowledge certain aspects still leave me puzzled.



Don't be picky! Embrace Tranquility!

At the end of the day, these were free extra fan service comics , they're aimed towards the nuts who live and breathe the game and just want more. It's quite possible that my slight disappointment is only due to the fact I wanted a meaningful story to be told, but these short tales aren't for our heads, they're for our hearts. I feel more connected to each character, like I understand them more, their motives. If you take the time to read the backstory, these comics make you understand why they've become who they are now, and that was Blizzard's aim. Who knows, this is volume 1, maybe the story I'm looking for is lurking around the corner as sure as a Reaper with Death Blossom…



I thank Blizzard Entertainment, Dark Horse Books and Edelweiss for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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[Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are my own.

I love playing video games but Overwatch is one that I haven't played yet. You might wonder why I did request this from the publisher. Because A) while I enjoy gaming I suck at it and playing with other people like that freaks me out so I need to gather some more courage and B) I love watching my bf play Overwatch. So when I requested this for review I wanted to read it because I love Overwatch and because my bf liked to read it too.

First the thing that you notice first with a comic: the art. The art was beautiful, I loved that every page was in full colour. Multiple artists worked on the stories so the art changes but I thought that all of them looked gorgeous. I had no complaints on that front at all.

And the other important thing with any form or stories: the story itself. My favourite stories were the Halloween and Christmas one. I thought that they had a great plot and I enjoyed reading them the most. But overall I really wanted more from this comic. The synopsis tells you that you will get the origin stories of a whole range of characters. I was so excited for this, I love the animated background stories (Mei! Bastion!) and I was really looking forward to getting to know them better. But here is the thing... You don't get what you are promised. You get little snippets of their story, but never everything. With some characters that worked out great and with others I felt like I was thrown into some random story and pulled out before I could really understand what was happening or why it was such an important moment for this character. I'm a bit disappointed with that because we were promised origin stories and that is definitely not what you get. Maybe they should focus every volume on one Overwatch character and give you the full background? I think that would have worked out better and I would not be left feeling unsatisfied.

My boyfriend (who as I said is a huge fan of Overwatch and player) said he would give the comic 4 stars. As someone who enjoys watching the game but doesn't play (really, I suck) I give this 3 stars. I was not given what I was promised but I enjoyed some of the stories and all the art.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW


McCree – Train Hopper

Script: Robert Brooks
Art: Bengal

Jesse McCree is hitching a ride on the express train when Opción Dos starts to hijack the train. Against his better judgment because he knows he’s just going to get blamed for it stops the hijacking.

McCree's story was a good one, he completely deserves his reputation even if he is trying to move on from the past. He's more of the unsung hero. I really enjoyed Bengal's art. His style of the manga/anime in the digital spectrum fits in great with what Blizzard has for this game.


Reinhardt – Dragonslayer

Script: Matt Burns
Art: Nesskain
As Reinhardt and Brigitte are traveling they come a small village that is practically being held hostage by a ruthless gang demanding protection money. Reinhardt ever the hero decides he can save them.

Of course Reinhardt is going to stick up for the little people, it would be going against his nature to do. It's an exciting story and well written and put together. I loved the his speech while he was putting on the armor. Nesskain's art is beautiful I love all the clean lines and detail.


Junkrat & Roadhog – Going Legit
Script: Robert Brooks
Art: Gray Shuko
Junkrat and Roadhog attempt to go legit when a business man offers them a job. Take out the bad guys and save the hostages, discreetly. But in the typical Junkrat fashion it all gets blown to hell, literally. It’s not the clean cut job they were hoping for but it’s exactly what the business man was hoping would happen.

This was hysterical. Junkrat's almost non-stop commentary and completely obliviousness of their actions it's no wonder they are the comic relief of the game. Gray Shuko has done artwork for Blizzard so it's no wonder he does such a spot on job for their comic.


Symmertra – A Better World
Script: Andrew Robinson
Art: Jeffery “Chamba” Cruz
Symmetra is working with the Vishkar Corporation which has a bid in Rio. They lose the bid to a local contractor but also a known slum lord. Symmetra is then charged with the task of digging up dirt on the man, only she can’t find any. Symmetra starts thinking of another way to get him out when everything goes wrong. Even though they tell her it’s for the better Symmetra is having doubts.

This story was just kinda there for me, it was good but seemed like it needed more. The art reminded me of Big Hero 6, not that it was bad I liked it, it's just in that style.


Pharah - Mission Statement
Script: Andrew Robinson
Art: Nesskain
Pharah and her team take on an Anubis A.I. that has broken and has been corrupting every nearby electronic. With her team dying around her Pharah is faced with the moral question of Team before mission or mission before the team?

I really liked this one. Action packed emotional, some great backstory, and more awesome art from Nesskain.


Torbjörn – Destroyer
Script: Micky Neilson
Art: Gray Shuko
Torbörn heads to Boklovo to stop a rampaging Titan class Omnic. Originally built to build the one has been retrofitted to destroy instead. Torbjörn was one for the original designers and was the obvious choice to stop this one. Once inside he faces an old acquaintance.

It doesn't give a whole lot of backstory onTorbörn but it gives enough to know what kind of a character he is. With more spot on art by Gray Shuko.


Ana – Legacy
Script: Andrew Robinson
Art: Bengal
Ana and her team are moving a group of scientist before the evil Talon gets them. But the enemy is ready for them with snipers of their own. To Ana her team mates are her family and the enemy snipers are killing her family Ana moves quickly to eliminate them first. But the last one Ana makes a mistake she hesitates and it costs her everything.

Another one I really liked.


Ana – Old Soldiers
Script: Michael Chu
Art: Bengal
This takes place sometime after Legacy. Soldier 76 is on the hunt for something when he comes across a wanted poster that leads him to an isolated compound. Hoping to uncover more information he instead discovers two old friends that may or not be on his side any more.

Yep loved this one too. Putting all the pieces together of the who's who and what happened.


Junkenstien – Halloween Special
Plot: Michael Chu
Script: Matt Burns
Art: Gray Shuko
A Halloween party for the Overwatch group. McCree has just wrapped up a scary story when Rein says he has an even scarier story. It’s about a righteous ruler and a mad scientist trying to raise the dead, and deals being made with the wrong kind of people.

A fun little comic that is perfect for Halloween season.


Reflections – Holiday Special
Script: Michael Chu
Art: Miki Montlló
Tracer is rushing to the store to get her Emily a Christmas gift but get distracted by a mugging and misses the store by seconds, lucky the family she rescued comes to her rescue by giving her a gift. Meanwhile Winston is left waiting for Emily and Tracer and wondering what everyone else is up to.

A nice pensive story about what the character of Overwatch do around the holidays. Miki Montlló art looks like it should be a cartoon, I love it. I can almost see the characters moving.


Binary
Script: Matt Burns and James Waugh
Art: Joe Ng
Color: Espen Grundetjern
In what starts like the movie Jaws, Torbjörn goes hunting a rogue Bastion in a remote Swedish town. But once he finds the Bastion he quickly realizes something is wrong with it. Torbjörn now must rescue the peaceful Bastion from the panicked villagers.

If Quint had sided with the giant shark instead, I imagine something like this. It was a fun short story of how Torbjörn found Bastion. Joe Ng and Espen Grundetjern did a wonderful job on the art.


Uprising
Script: Michael Chu
Art: Gray Shuko

London, England. The Onmic are rebelling and the entire city is a war zone. McCree, against orders, is already there assessing the situation. Meanwhile the Prime Minister does not want Overwatch involved. Soldier debates whether to send in a team or not. Only after a conversation with Tracer does he know the answer to that question, he sends in Tracer, Mercy, Rein, and Torb.

Corresponding with the Uprising season it's a nice little insight to what when on.


Overall, full disclosure, I don't play the game but my hubby does so most of the day that's all I hear about. If I have a question I just ask him, he loves it it gives us something to talk about together instead of him talking about OW while I talk about books. I love storylines and well Overwatch really doesn't have one but when you get to the back stories and the webcomics that's the story I crave. I loved learning more about the characters and enjoying the fantastic art. Blizzard is pretty good about doing side and back stories to go with their games, when I got back into computer games it was because Diablo 2. I'm not much for online competition, I hate playing against other people. But as graphic novels go and being part of the Overwatch franchise this is a great item for any heroes collection.

[Gerardo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a printed version of Blizzard's webcomics, with a few sketches and character designs at the end.

The stories are super short, mostly uninteresting and rarely add depth to the characters from the game. The dialogue is bland, the motivation for the characters is shallow and we still don't see any important parts on the history of OW. Just the same generic nonsense that feels more like filler text on a cereal box.

The art varies greatly, but goes from competent to gorgeous- the coloring is a particular standout. However, the storytelling isn't a strong point: most of these artists take the 'designer' route: they take every panel as an independet piece, and while it makes them look relatively detailed, the story doesn't quite 'flow'.
For example, in Symmetra's story, there is a part near the end with explosions where you can't really tell what is going on, who did or said what. They switch angles, colors and voices so it's hard to tell what happened. It's not one of those 'that was the point' things: the action and movement isn't clear and this happense through most of the stories.

It's a classic videogame cash-in that adds little to the story, characters and while we do see a couple additions to the cast (in the form of Brigitte, Sven and Tracer's girlfriend), there's mostly nothing worth the price of admission (considering you can read them for free online). The art can be stunning at times, but the overall pace feels really off (at least for me, with 25+ years of reading comics and graphic novels).
It was just slightly below what I expected but it's not terrible, so my recommendation is read them online first if you are curious.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, is it worth it? I'd say mmmaybe? If you're a hardcore Overwatch fan.

If you're a casual player; then you can find the comics #1-16 for free in Blizzard's site, or over at the Comixology app.

Some of the issues are good, but that's a really low number, most of them are mediocre at best, but with great artwork all of them. It's the script and the plot that's most of the time not good. And that's the comic's fault and the editor's fault or whoever decided to let's tell a story of a character from the game for 10 pages and that's it. There's not enough time and most of the stories end up being either cliche or boring.

The little goodies at the end with artwork and sketches are nice to look at and this one will be a nice coffee table book to have if you're a fan of the games.

[Colona Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is full of short stories with the characters of Overwatch. The art I think looks fine, I was kind of hoping for something a little bit more. When I look at the art book and even some of the sprays in the game, I was hoping for a more defined style for this book. There's not much canon or story in Overwatch yet, so don't expect too much story-wise. This is fun, if you are a fan of the game then I would recommend this book. ~Ashley

[Mavis Ros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eyeing this comic from my bro’s desk for a longer while now.

Been thinking of giving this anthology a try cuz I’ve known Overwatch back when the first teaser trailer came out.

I gotta say those were some interesting back stories.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Overwatch. It is easily one of my all-time favourite games that I never get tired of playing. Since the game was released in 2016, a series of digital comic shorts have been released online, giving backstories and additional narratives to some of the characters. Although I have read some of these as they were released, I did not get the chance to read all of them, so I was incredibly eager to read this anthology and I was not disappointed.

McCree: Train Hopper – ★★★★★

Although I do not play as McCree very often, he is one of the most interesting characters in the game, in terms of backstory and personality. Plus, he is a complete badass. This story was really interesting, I loved the artwork and I would definitely love to see more stories featuring McCree at some point in the future.

Reinhardt: Dragon Slayer – ★★★

This story was alright, but not as good as some of the others. Reinhardt is a pretty cool character, but he has never been one of my favourites, which probably influenced my enjoyment of this story. The artwork was okay, but a little confusing at times.

Junkrat & Roadhog: Going Legit – ★★★★★

Like Reinhardt, Roadhog is not one of my favourite characters, but Junkrat certainly is. He is one of the most fun characters to play as in the entire game and he is probably the one I have played as the most as well, so I obviously loved this one. The story was great and incredibly humorous, one of the best in the anthology.

Symmetra: A Better World – ★★★

Symmetra is a pretty cool character to play as, but her personality has always come across as arrogant and quite snobbish. Unlike some of the other comics, I felt like this one would have perhaps been better with some more context surrounding it, as I was slightly unsure of when it took place and what was actually going on. The art style was also quite minimalistic and not my personal favourite.

Pharah: Mission Statement – ★★★

I do not particularly like Pharah, as I personally find her incredibly difficult to play as or even against, and so I did not love this story. Like Reinhardt’s comic, the artwork was a little confusing and again, it was difficult to see what was going on, especially during the action sequences.

Torbjörn: Destroyer – ★★★★

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this one, as it was much more interesting than I was expecting. I have always enjoyed playing as Torbjörn, but I have never known anything about him, so it was nice to learn a little bit of his story.

Ana: Legacy – ★★★★

Ana’s backstory is one that I have been quite curious about and this comic did reveal some of that. It was intriguing and interesting, but it did raise more questions that I hope will be answered at some point in the future.

Ana: Old Soldiers – ★★★★

Initially I thought it was a little odd to have two stories centred around Ana, however this one was not solely about her like I was anticipating. Once again, I really liked it, especially as you got to see some of the other characters who have not got their own comic in this anthology.

Junkenstein – ★★★★★

Just like Junkrat and Roadhog’s story, this one was hilarious and great fun to read, but it was also genuinely nice to see some of the characters hanging out together.

Reflections – ★★★★

Reflections was the Christmas special comic which is one of the few that I actually read when it was first released online. This one was not quite the action packed, fast paced story that the others were, but nonetheless it was incredibly sweet.

Binary – ★★★★

Bastion is absolutely adorable and after watching his animated short and reading this comic, I am even more convinced of that. It was interesting to see how Bastion became involved with the other characters and I would definitely like to see more of him in future comics.

Uprising – ★★★★

Like the Junkenstein story, it was nice seeing some of the characters together in Uprising. However, I have no idea about where this fits in the Overwatch timeline, which would have been useful to know, but it is probably something I can find out for myself.

At the end, there is a sketchbook containing the development process for some of the comics, which was incredibly interesting to see.

I adore Overwatch and I absolutely loved this too. It was great to learn some backstory to a few of the characters, although there is still more I would like to know about each of them, especially the newer characters that were not featured in this volume that much. Overall, the stories were fun, entertaining and humorous, and I am looking forward to the comics that are still to come.

Rating - 4/5
★★★★

There is also a link to this review on my blog here!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This 144 page hardcover book collects comics up until Uprising. The comics are:

McCree: Train Hopper
Reinhard: Dragon Slayer
Junkrat and Roadhog: Going Legit
Symmetra: A Better World
Pharah: Mission Statement
Torbjorn: Destroyer
Ana: Legacy
Ana: Old Soldiers
Junkenstein
Reflections
Binary
Uprising

The comics are in full color and look the same as presented by Blizzard. There is no introduction or any kind of write up in the ARC - there may be one added before publication. Certainly, since all of these comics are online, more perspective would have been greatly welcomed.

After all the comics, there are a few sketchbook items: original concept sketches for the layouts and covers, a couple of changes that were made (the Ana reveal of Amelie Lacroix in Legacy, for example, was originally laid out differently). There are 1-2 items for most of the comics included in the sketchbook. At the bottom of each page, is a set of brief descriptions set up in the 'abilities' game format you see in the Hero screen when pressing F1. Perhaps the most amusing are 6 options for Tracer's significant other's hair (Emily). The only other addition is the creator bios for contributors to the comics.

There aren't any extras here that can't be found online other than the small sketchbook in the back. There's no new lore to be found, either, even in the rough sketches. But the collection finally gets a print version for bookshelves. I admit, I wanted more - not just on how the drawings changed but on how the story might have changed over the year that these have been out (and since the original graphic novel was canceled). Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overwatch anthology volume one by Blizzard is a stupendous book I love the game, and I play hours of it a day on my Xbox, and when I read this book, it was my favorite book of all time. Absolutely no other books could compare to it. It basically has most of the Overwatch heroes going on missions, and the stories are portrayed in a Graphic Novel form. It mainly reminded me of other comic books, and I would recommend this great book for anyone who plays Overwatch.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I AM OBSESSED WITH OVERWATCH LORE AND I JUST NEED MORE MORE MORE OF IT, PLS AND THANK YOU

Anyway-- so this is an anthology of a few different Overwatch comics, and each little issue/vignette dips into characters' backstories and important events that happened to them, touching on the relationships within the teams, etc. Each vignette is so short that it constantly leaves you wanting more, though: when it comes to lore for this game, it's like we're parched men in a desert, being fed drips from a faucet. What is there is good, though, just scratching at the surface while still leaving metric tonnes left to explore.

Things wot I love:
- Ana & Jack & Gabe's old sad trifecta goddamn I love them
- Ana Amari in general, she's just the best okay
- Brigitte sternly deciding what Reinhardt does or doesn't get to do, despite the fact that he is fully 4 times her size
- WINSTON IN A KNITTED CHRISTMAS JUMPER, I WANT TO CRY
- Unquestionable LGBTQ representation for Tracer and her girlfriend Emily
- Torbjorn wrestling with the karmic debt of the weapons he's created, and trying to offset some of the damage
- Symmetra is... actually sympathetic... despite being a villainess?? I did not realise this
- McCree is so attractive, why is he so attractive!!
- Just, everyone in this bar.

Anthology contains:
- McCree, "Train Hopper"
- Reinhardt, "Dragonslayer"
- Junkrat & Roadhog, "Going Legit"
- Symmetra, "A Better World"
- Pharah, "Mission Statement"
- Torbjörn, "Destroyer"
- Ana, "Legacy"
- Ana, "Old Soldiers"
- "Junkenstein" (Halloween special)
- "Reflections" (holiday special)
- Bastion, "Binary"
- "Uprising"

[Elin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a few friends who are reaaaaally into Overwatch and I was talked into joining them in a few games. Which I did. And had a bunch of fun. But I really lament the lack of a story mode in the game and so I started researching the characters, watched the Overwatch cinematics on Youtube and bought the comics anthology. I would've liked the comics to be a bit longer. They were all a bit on the short side. That said I did enjoy the comics starring Ana, Soldier and Reaper. The OG. I also had a lot of fun reading the comic about Torbjörn and Bastion, mainly because of the signs and headlines in Swedish (and actually grammatically correct Swedish unlike Brigitte's name and fisherman outfit in the game). I'm a big fan of both Reaper and Tracer in the game and I also liked Tracer's comics in this anthology, especially her origin story. I hope there'll be a second anthology, but until that happens, I guess I have to read the rest of the comics on Blizzard's website.

[Meredith Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good starter set of comics. Variable quality, but all on the higher end -- good art all around, and I'd say the stories' narrative contnt ranged between 3 and 5 stars. Some weaker ones, and in a collection that promised to discover the history behind the history of overwatch, it was slightly disappointing to get multiple around specific of the original heroes and nothing around others, which made some of them seem more important (though, I mean, I know that some of them like Mei and D.Va only had their lore recently released), but they all had their own charm. Overall gave a good look into the various factors at play in the Overwatch setting and how they affect the relevant characters.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't really played Overwatch, but I bought this book for my husband, and also wanted to take a look.

This is a collection of short stories about some of the characters from the game, and also the beginning of a full blown story.
Therefor, there aren't that much I can say about a story line so far, but all the different stories were short and interesting.

The artstyle was a mix of differenr styles, with what seemed like a new artist for every story. I liked most of them, though.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pro fanoušky Overwatch to asi mít význam bude, ale pro téměř nezasvěceného pozorovatele kniha nepřináší nic nového. Ani jako úvod do světa to není úplně vhodné, jelikož čtenáře hodí rovnou do děje a jakékoli vysvětlování se nekoná. Jednotlivé příběhy jsou krátké a je v nich jakýsi náznak pointy, ta je však v mnoha případech dost slabá.
Líbila se mi kresba. Na té se střídalo několik umělců, přesto stylově příběhy ladí k sobě.

[Danielle Messier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall I really liked all the stories. I would give 8 of the stories a 5 so really I give this about a 4.5 rating. It’s nice that one of my favorite games has so many story elements between the comics and the short videos. It’s only made my connection with the characters stronger. My favorite stories include Junkenstein, Reflections, Binary, Urising, Going Legit, Dragon Slayer, and Destroyer. Look forward to seeing more overwatch comics.

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these. If you play Overwatch or are interested to learn more about the characters I think you'd really like this. My favorite stories were the ones that had the different characters interacting with each other. I also enjoyed learning more about the characters motives and beliefs. Also gotta love the Witch Mercy.

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overwatch: Anthology by Blizzard Entertainment, Matt Burns, and Robert Brooks gathers together the digital comics that expand the world behind the hit game. Each short story dives into the lives of fan-favourite heroes - from Tracer’s boundless optimism to Reaper’s shadowy vengeance - showing how their pasts, loyalties, and quirks shape the battles they fight.

I really enjoyed how these vignettes added emotional depth and context to the game’s characters, turning quick matches into part of a much bigger narrative universe. The art is slick, dynamic, and full of energy - exactly what you’d expect from Blizzard. A fun and stylish collection that makes the world of Overwatch feel richer and more alive.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved rereading these. The Ana ones are easily favourite. Plus the holiday one with Emily! <3 I can't wait to reread the next set when it comes out in hardcover.

[Starla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overwatch FTW!!!

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Overwatch Anthology contains the first twelve stories of our wonderful characters. These include stories about McCree (Train Hopper), Reinhard (Dragon Slayer), Junkrat and Roadhog (Going Legit), Symmetra (A better World), Pharah (Mission Statement), Torbjorn (Drestroyer), Ana (Legacy and Old Soldiers), as well as a couple holiday stories (Junkenstein, Reflections), and a couple of group stories (Binary, and Uprising).
All of these stories can be found online (and thus it isn’t required for you to buy it), but they’re still fun to read as a complete set. I’m sure we all have a favorite character (or two) that’ll help us decide which story is our favorite.
McCree: Train Hopper – Written by Robert Brooks and illustrated by Bengal. It’s a tale about McCree and how he’ll always be followed by his past, even when he’s trying to move past it. This is a great story, especially for all the McCree fans out there.
Reinhard: Dragon Slayer – Written by Matt Burns and illustrated by Nesskain. This is a tale about Reinhard doing what he does best: standing up for those who can’t do it for themselves. I really like this one, as it makes you so aware of just how human Reinhard is. Bonus, Brigitte makes an appearance.
Junkrat and Roadhog: Going Legit – Written by Robert Brooks and illustrated by Gray Shuko. Junkrat and Roadhog make an attempt at doing some legitimate work, in the form of blowing stuff up and saving some hostages (discreetly, of course). Things go belly up pretty fast, and Junkrat is reminded of why he hates suits. This story is absolutely hilarious and will make any fan of Junkrat and Roadhog crack up.
Symmetra: A Better World – Written by Andrew Robinson and illustrated by Jeffrey Cruz. This story has Symmetra debating what is right and wrong, and do the ends always justify the means. This story did a great job of letting you see into Symmetra’s head and the way she thinks.
Pharah: Mission Statement – Written by Andrew Robinson and illustrated by Nesskain. Thanks to complications during a mission, Pharah is forced to question which is more important, her team or the mission. I really loved this one – it explains so much about why Pharah acts the way she does.
Torbjorn: Destroyer – Written by Micky Neilson and illustrated by Gray Shuko. Thanks to an Titan class Omnic going on a rage, Torbjorn is called in to handle it, which really is the only logical choice. I wish this story had focused more on Torbjorn, but beggers can’t be choosers I suppose.
Ana: Legacy – Written by Andrew Robinson and illustrated by Bengal. Ana, being the sniper on her team, has taken a farther location in order to spot for her team. The situation escalates quickly and Ana loses some members of her team before she can react. She manages to get a shot off on the killer, but she’s shocked by the identity of the person. This story was fantastic and epic. I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.
Ana: Old Soldiers – Written by Michael Chu and illustrated by Bengal. This is a Soldier 76 and Ana story; they’re working different ends to take down the same enemy. This one was fantastic. It clearly shows how old teammates can still work together, even after years of no communication (and the irony that they’re both presumed dead isn’t lost on me).
Junkenstein – Written by Michael Chu and Matt Burns, and illustrated by Gray Shuko. A ‘scary’ tale as told by Reinhard, though I think the only person he succeeds in scaring is himself. It’s a fun twist of the Frankenstein story, with a lot of room for laughs.
Reflections – Written by Michael Chu and illustrated by Miki Montlo. Tracer is frantically running around the city, stopping small crimes and constantly arriving at a store just as it closes. Meanwhile Winston is home wondering if he’ll have Christmas alone this year. This is a very sweet story, and probably one of my favorites. I love seeing the characters interact; but I think the Tracer/Winston relationship is by far the cutest.
Binary – Written by Matt Burns and James Waugh, and illustrated by Joe Ng and Espen Grundetjern. A rogue Bastion has been spotted ‘terrorizing’ a nearby town, so naturally Tjorborn steps up to take care of it. Only once he catches up with the ‘monster’ does he find that even Bastions can change their ways. I’m a little biased with this one, as Bastion is one of my favorite characters (not to play, he’s just super cute).
Uprising – Written by Michael Chu and illustrated by Gray Shuko. Finally! An origin story! Well, sort of. It’s the team (or at least part of it) while they debate on whether or not to step in during a situation they’ve been asked to stay out of. This story did a great job of showing the political difficulties the Overwatch team has been up against.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories behind the chars.

I've played Overwatch a few times, but I'm not a game fanatic. However, I do love the characters, the individuality of each of them and how they feel alive. The comics have given depth to the characters since, in the game, there's no real story behind them.

First thing you notice: the art. Several artists worked on the stories, so the art changed a bit, but they all looked beautiful. Another thing: some of the stories didn't have a big plot, but most did. And that made me happy and willing to read more. And that's what I went to do.

The anthology brings the first 12 comics. However, 16 were already released, so I read the other 4 on the outside. Although I've read this comic book series in digital format (including, it was my first experience reading comics in an e-reader), I want to buy the hardcover edition.

The only negative point that left me a bit disappointed: the synopsis says that you'll get the stories from a whole range of characters, so I was very excited about it, and loved, laughed, almost cried with two or three, but... you don't get 100% of what you were promised. You have little parts of the characters' stories, but never everything and never the origin of them.

Well, with some characters it worked very well, and with others, I felt like he was thrown into a random story, so I had a bit of a hard time understanding what was going on or why it was such an important moment for that character.

I'm 99% sure that anyone who likes Overwatch will also enjoy seeing the characters being developed and having a few of their stories explained. Let's hope Blizzard and Dark Horse continue the good work they've been doing in producing the comics.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology has 12 short stories and a sketchbook from the vastly popular Blizzard game, Overwatch. The featured stories in this collection are "McCree: Train Hopper," "Reinhardt: Dragon Slayer," "Junkrat & Roadhog: Going Legit," "Symmetra: A Better World," "Pharah: Mission Statement," "Torbjorn: Destroyer," "Ana: Legacy," and "Ana: Old Soldiers." It also includes the holiday specials "Junkenstein" and "Reflections" as well as "Binary" and "Uprising." Many of these stories are reminiscent with the videos that are released for various characters.

My personal favorites are "McCree: Train Hopper" and "Ana: Legacy." McCree's story involves defending a train from a heist, and he ultimately gets blames for the casualties. Knowing this, he leaves before the authorities can take him, a misunderstood man with a good heart. There are two stories in the anthology featuring Ana, but I really enjoyed Legacy because it involves her early years of being in the field as well as the origin of how she lost her eye.

[Travis Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some short stories that provide backstories for the characters of overwatch. Some stories are better than others, but mostly they barely scratch the surface. There is clearly a lot of areas in the history of Overwatch blizzard isn't ready to tell us so don't expect anything mind blowing in any of the stories. I personally like the Jack, Anna, and Gabriel stuff. The show that they once were friends but the uprising made them choose sides. Anyways if you don't play the game I wouldn't read this book it won't make much sense, the stories don't really add up to one big story it's really fragmented and character based.

[Ady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me fascinó el poder tener estas historias en formato físico. Es agradable leerlas en digital, pero sin duda no puedo evitar preferir el formato físico.

Blizzard es excelente en el área del diseño, la versión que recibí es la de pasta dura con una encuadernación muy buena, el barnizado y terminación mate le da mucha elegancia. Sin duda tienen siempre ese cuidado en la presentación que se agradece, siempre es un placer visual tener algo de Blizzard.

Las historias son las mismas que se han publicado en la página, buena impresión, colores vivos y el lettering no interrumpe detalles. Me fascinó que al final dejaron unas hojas de sketchbook y detalles de algunas portadas y páginas.

Sobre las historias en sí, son bastante agradables, posiblemente más "llegadoras" si se conoce el juego ya que de esta manera conoces un poco el trasfondo y pasado de alguno de los personajes. El arte varía de autor en autor, pero tienen buena calidad. No le pongo 5 estrellas por el hecho de que no hay nada realmente nuevo (sólo lo del sketchbook), por lo que es una edición que más bien se quiere tener en físico en vez de leer en línea.

Bastante feliz con este tomo, no puedo esperar para el siguiente ahora.

[Stephanie Bibb · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I’ll start by saying that I have not played Overwatch, but I enjoyed watching the short video clips that feature the various characters, and I’d heard about the comics, and I wanted to read this.

I thoroughly enjoyed Overwatch: Anthology Volume 1. I loved the little insights into the different characters and the hints about the world. I loved how most of it sort of had this hopeful tone... that they’re out to make the world a better place (for the most part). The stories are short, slipping in and out of a moment in time, but each was cohesive and made me want to read the next. I enjoyed the artwork, too, which was different for each story.

I really want to read more, and I was seriously hoping for a novel or longer graphic novel that delved deeper into the world and how it came to be with a linear arc... but it looks like the one they had planned got cancelled. *Sigh.* Well, I can at least hope that there might be more volumes of these short stories.

If you enjoy an uplifting, superhero-like story in a future world, I very much recommend reading Overwatch: Anthology Volume 1.

[Earl C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wide-ranging collection of the first twelve issues of Overwatch comics tied-in to the popular first person shooter from Blizzard.

Most of these are quite short and the story and artwork vary in quality. On average they deliver decent stories with generally solid art. The greatest draw here is the backstory that is revealed for the world of Overwatch. There are some really interesting insights into the characters and it is an interesting and I think successful effort to combine with the game and the numerous short videos they have produced to create what has been the greatest strength behind Overwatch: compelling characters.

I often hate playing a specific character (or playing against them) but I love the voice lines, the bits of lore tied into their creation and the often very moving stories surrounding these characters. In an industry that often can sum up a character's background and development in a paragraph or two they stand out.

Fans will definitely enjoy it. Others will likely find they have too many gaps in their knowledge that reduce the experience...or I could be wrong and it might draw them into the game, videos, etc.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a 30-something adult woman who enjoys playing Overwatch and reading graphic novels. I'm not a traditional comic book reader, however, but I thought I'd give this a shot.

My general conclusion was that it was okay. I had more fun reading the comic book aloud to my husband attempting to use character voices than when I was just reading it silently in my head. I mean, the characters have great voicelines, right? And the Reinhardt chapter using a Reinhardt voice? So fun.

But other than that, the backstories were interesting to read about the characters, but not so fascinating that I feel the need to tell people to go out and read this.

I thought it was okay, but not great. It wasn't a complete waste of the hour I spent reading it.

Bottom line: Not high-end literature. Probably a lot more fun for younger readers. You definitely need to be an Overwatch enthusiast to find enjoyment. If you have no idea what Overwatch is -- well, it's a great game, but you should definitely play the game before you bother reading this comic.

[Kayla Palumbo]

Overwatxh: Anthology Volume 1 is a graphic novel based upon the video game Overwatch. Overwatch is a first person multiplayer gun game and in my opinion it is so much fun. In this book it shares little chapters about each character. Each chapter explains back stories for some characters and just funny events that will eventually be put into the game. I really enjoyed this book, because I learned more about the game by reading it. The creative images really entertained me, because I got to see the different characters in outfits that were put into the game. This is the first book in a future series. I’m exited to see if Blizzard Entertainment will release this next book soon!
I recommend this book to all ages or anyone who plays the video game Overwatch. Anyone who has never heard of this game should even play it! It’s very addicting and there is so much backstory that u can dive into, and this book is a very good place to start!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language: English
Difficulty (vocabulary): B1
Difficulty (story): A2

Nicely illustrated, even though I'm not an Overwatch player (I have about two hours /played), it was a pleasant read and managed to create a story in +-10 pages. Towards the end, the strips seemed to get weaker. And some of the pictures would have stood out more without those "BLAM BLAM RATATAT".

I'm considered one of the finest snipers on the planet.
My cybernetic eye makes my vision six times greater than normal, my scope brings that to six hundred times. I rarely even need the scope.
My rifle is a Kinamura. Today I'm using .338 rounds.
Accurate to 2000 meters. Bullet travels at 980 meters per second.
I could do with less, but enemies don't get up from this.
The key is to not hesitate. When you have the shot... you take the shot.
That's how you stay alive. It's how you keep your people alive.

(Ana: Legacy)