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Horizon Zero Dawn #1
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Sunhawk
This collects issues #1-4 of the Sunhawk story.
Titan Comics and Guerrilla Games are proud to announce an all-new graphic novel set after the events of the critically acclaimed, award-winning video game Horizon Zero Dawn! A new adventure with Talanah and Aloy awaits!
Horizon: a far-future Earth full of epic natural beauty and forgotten ruins, where awe-inspiring, animal-like machines are the dominant species and humans struggle to survive in pre-industrial tribes. In the aftermath of a titanic battle that almost laid waste to the capital city of Meridian, Talanah, one of the greatest machine-hunters in the land, struggles to find her place in the rebuilding effort. Making matters worse, Aloy, her trusted friend and confidant, has disappeared. When a new threat emerges in the hinterlands, she must decide how best to serve her tribe, her friends, and herself.
Titan Comics and Guerrilla Games are proud to announce an all-new graphic novel set after the events of the critically acclaimed, award-winning video game Horizon Zero Dawn! A new adventure with Talanah and Aloy awaits!
Horizon: a far-future Earth full of epic natural beauty and forgotten ruins, where awe-inspiring, animal-like machines are the dominant species and humans struggle to survive in pre-industrial tribes. In the aftermath of a titanic battle that almost laid waste to the capital city of Meridian, Talanah, one of the greatest machine-hunters in the land, struggles to find her place in the rebuilding effort. Making matters worse, Aloy, her trusted friend and confidant, has disappeared. When a new threat emerges in the hinterlands, she must decide how best to serve her tribe, her friends, and herself.
124 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2020
50 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
Anne Toole
83 books21 followersAnne Toole is a WGA-nominated writer for computer games, one-hour television, comics, and short fiction. Anne started her career writing for DAYS OF OUR LIVES, then became Head Writer for a game based on the STARGATE SG-1 series. She's written a number of game titles, including the dark fantasy RPG, THE WITCHER, which earned her a Writers Guild nomination. Anne has spoken extensively on games and entertainment and contributed to books from the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
May 9, 2021
First, I have not played this video game. But after reading this first volume (4 comics) in the story that comes after the games; I’m thinking I might need to. If you’re familiar with the game then you don’t need to be told that machines that look like animals are the enemy, and the humans fight both them and one another.
Side note: A warning to fans who know the series Aloy is only briefly mentioned and is not in the story at all.
Ladies!
The primary reason I ended up with these in my collection is that Peach Momoko (a very hot artist last year and somewhat this year) did the variant covers. That is how I learned of this mini series. Then I read about how the writer AND primary artist are also women!! I probably don’t need to tell you this is a rare, rare thing in the comic industry. While there are a few female cover artists; ones that do interior art are few and far between. Then finding female writers is nigh on impossible; minus one important exemption of Monstress (the best comic series ever made if you ask me!).
The Story
There are a couple threads of story to grab onto here. There is the back story of our two main characters before they met told in comic #3; and then there is the hunting of the machines. But there is also a sweet romance that blossoms between our two leading characters. It’s quite well done and even though a bit of insta-romance; it didn’t feel cheap or overdone to me. I liked the writing a lot here; and the moments when there was no writing. An important nuance in comics some writers forget. You want to let the storyboard tell the majority of the narrative without dialogue or narration blurbs. It is, after all, a visual medium at the end of the day.
The Art
This is nice, simple but pretty art. Very clean, no grunge or darkness to it. At times I could almost hear the water or smell the lush plants surrounding them. These are important aspects of comic art that I felt were well done. The actual character art was alright. I thought our leading girls facial features were lacking; but our man and his light stubble seemed to make up for it. All in all no major complaints. This is art that tells the story well and if you are not a huge comic reader will make the medium feel very accessible.
Overall
Is it cliche to say that ‘for a comic based on a video game’ I am impressed? Because I am. There is obviously a complex, beautiful world to be traversed in Horizon Zero Dawn. The characters are complex and can easily tell new stories.
More importantly, I now want to play this game. That is an impressive feat as I do not play many video games. I watch my husband play them (he has also not played this one) but anytime I discover a game as pretty it smooth as Bioshock or Witcher I tend to investigate further. Based on fan commentary and that this series got its own comics it seems I missed out on this gem. I’ll be sure to remedy that soon; and on the meantime there is another mini series of 4-6 comics coming this year set in the same world and a story that happens shortly after this little love tale.
Side note: A warning to fans who know the series Aloy is only briefly mentioned and is not in the story at all.
Ladies!
The primary reason I ended up with these in my collection is that Peach Momoko (a very hot artist last year and somewhat this year) did the variant covers. That is how I learned of this mini series. Then I read about how the writer AND primary artist are also women!! I probably don’t need to tell you this is a rare, rare thing in the comic industry. While there are a few female cover artists; ones that do interior art are few and far between. Then finding female writers is nigh on impossible; minus one important exemption of Monstress (the best comic series ever made if you ask me!).
The Story
There are a couple threads of story to grab onto here. There is the back story of our two main characters before they met told in comic #3; and then there is the hunting of the machines. But there is also a sweet romance that blossoms between our two leading characters. It’s quite well done and even though a bit of insta-romance; it didn’t feel cheap or overdone to me. I liked the writing a lot here; and the moments when there was no writing. An important nuance in comics some writers forget. You want to let the storyboard tell the majority of the narrative without dialogue or narration blurbs. It is, after all, a visual medium at the end of the day.
The Art
This is nice, simple but pretty art. Very clean, no grunge or darkness to it. At times I could almost hear the water or smell the lush plants surrounding them. These are important aspects of comic art that I felt were well done. The actual character art was alright. I thought our leading girls facial features were lacking; but our man and his light stubble seemed to make up for it. All in all no major complaints. This is art that tells the story well and if you are not a huge comic reader will make the medium feel very accessible.
Overall
Is it cliche to say that ‘for a comic based on a video game’ I am impressed? Because I am. There is obviously a complex, beautiful world to be traversed in Horizon Zero Dawn. The characters are complex and can easily tell new stories.
More importantly, I now want to play this game. That is an impressive feat as I do not play many video games. I watch my husband play them (he has also not played this one) but anytime I discover a game as pretty it smooth as Bioshock or Witcher I tend to investigate further. Based on fan commentary and that this series got its own comics it seems I missed out on this gem. I’ll be sure to remedy that soon; and on the meantime there is another mini series of 4-6 comics coming this year set in the same world and a story that happens shortly after this little love tale.
January 10, 2021
Horizon Zero Dawn is, by far, my favorite video game ever.
After replaying it for the third time and still not having the next one (soon...), discovering this comic was a blessing. It is a direct bridge between the two games, and gives a lot of fascinating glimpses about what’s to come.
With an amazing and dynamic art for the comic, and a few illustrations by some artists like Loish, this is, definitely, a recommended lecture for every fan of HZD out there who is burning with need to see more of the riveting world “Guerrilla Games” created.
July 19, 2022
This comic is great for horizon lovers 🥰
November 9, 2020
An okay volume. So I was big fan of Horizon Zero Dawn on PlayStation and I have been very impressed by all the licensed comics Titan has been putting out so I thought I'd give this a try. To my surprise, Aloy (the protagonist from the video game) is not really in this book aside from a cameo. This first volume mainly focuses on one of the side characters from the game. I'm all for expanding the world of the game, as it is an interesting universe, but the story told here was serviceable at best and didn't really feel like it needed its own comic to tell. It does seem like they might focus on different characters in each volume? But so far it just seems like filler content until the second game comes out. Art was nice though, and it fit the art style of the game nicely.
December 22, 2021
3,5/5
Está bien, es muy entretenido pero ojalá saliera más Aloy^^ Es una delicia volver al mundo del videojuego y nos ameniza la espera para Forbbiden West
Está bien, es muy entretenido pero ojalá saliera más Aloy^^ Es una delicia volver al mundo del videojuego y nos ameniza la espera para Forbbiden West
October 29, 2020
Decent first issue with some good artwork! Be interested to see where it all goes!
February 16, 2021
Eh? I don't want to be too harsh on this graphic novel, because I did like elements of it, but it's plagued by many of the same elements the writing of Horizon Zero Dawn had. Horizon Zero Dawn is a kickass video game with incredibly interesting worldbuilding, writing, and completely lackluster characters. I really did enjoy that game, and I can literally only tell you the main character's name. At the end of the day, this fantastic setting is in service of nothing except the main character, which becomes very obvious when you try to make a story about one of the side characters.
December 29, 2020
Pretty art but the story felt like cliffnotes of the video game. Didn't add much to the world of Horizon (which is top 5 of last generation for me) so a bit of a let down.
March 5, 2022
4'5/5
Cómic para los amantes del mundo de Horizon. Recomendadísimo!
Cómic para los amantes del mundo de Horizon. Recomendadísimo!
August 6, 2020
I never know about reviewing single issues of comics - I may decide to wait for the collected edition to come out for this... I did enjoy this though! Anything that gets me back into HZD gets a plusplus in my book!
First finished: 6aug2020
Source: Google Play Store
First finished: 6aug2020
Source: Google Play Store
February 21, 2022
Le storie ambientate nel mondo di Horizon non mi faranno mai non emozionare❤️
July 24, 2021
I originally read this as individual issues.
I absolutely adored the game Horizon Zero Dawn and I remember these comics being announced quite a while ago, but for some reason I just never got around to buying them until very recently. It's now been years since I've played the game and it's expansions and I kind of wish I had played it more often than I did. Usually I take years between a replay of a game, so it's been a while since I've even ventured into the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. That being said, I really liked being transported there again for this four issue comic set about Talanah. If you don't remember, Talanah is the hunter you meet at the Hunters lodge that eventually becomes the first woman Sunhawk (leader of the lodge). This story takes place after that event occurs.
Now, for people wondering, Aloy doesn't show up in the story. Instead, she shows up in memory flash backs as Talanah relates her story to another character. This is pretty typical of franchised content. Letting the main writers tell the story of the main character from the games and letting these side stories exist in a cross path feel as the world is fleshed out. Unless the novel or comic is written as a direct tie-in to a game or movie the extra stories fleshing out the universe tend to steer away from the main character in favor of the other characters sort of responding to the change in world state. Trying to write more about the main character has spectacularly back fired on publishers in the past such as Aliens: Earth War, where they tried to bring Ripley back... and well... then Alien 3 happened! I imagine most publishers aren't interested in going down that road again.
So, here we have a side adventure of Talanah and even though she is in charge of the hunters lodge, she decides to take a contract to hunt a machine with black armor. They sort of set up the motivation as her being restless in her new position and needing to get out and "find herself" more. I thought the motivation could have been fleshed out a little bit better, but it was fine enough to send us on a fun adventure through more of the world! That's why I was here after all...
The core story is pretty good, feels pretty side-quest-like as far as video games go, and along the way Talanah runs into another character named Amadis. His background story with the Red Raids was actually quite good and he wound up being a pretty interesting character for Talanah to team up with to hunt the machine. I can't say it was an amazingly original story overall, but I would hardly expect that nowadays. Basically, he was a soldier trying to do the right thing and being punished for it and now there's a bounty on his head for his troubles. So, when they cross paths with other hunters there's a bit of a problem.
The almost awesome part was that they discovered a machine factory, but then they never go in and then I remembered it was only Aloy who could do that kind of stuff. So, they have to look for another solution to deal with the situation and in that we meet and entirely new machine! This part was pretty cool and it makes me wonder if we'll be running into these things during the next video game installment. At the end of the series it did say Talanah's story continues there and all this did was make me more excited for the next game!
The art is pretty solid all around. They did a good job of translating the game environment into the comic book. Ann Maulina's art was sitting around what I'd expect for modern day comic book art. It doesn't get too abstract and manages to keep the fairly standard realism of the game that we'd probably expect as fans of the franchise.
In the end, if you're a Horizon Zero Dawn fan, then I can't imagine you'd find fault with this small story. It's a fun adventure at the very least and gives us an excuse to spend a little bit more time in the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. I'm hoping that they will do more to flesh out the world a little bit. I know the wilderness hunting aspect was a big part of the game, but I'd love to see some stories where the cities take a front seat. Maybe even some historical tales showing mankind rebuilding civilization a little bit or something along those lines.
I absolutely adored the game Horizon Zero Dawn and I remember these comics being announced quite a while ago, but for some reason I just never got around to buying them until very recently. It's now been years since I've played the game and it's expansions and I kind of wish I had played it more often than I did. Usually I take years between a replay of a game, so it's been a while since I've even ventured into the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. That being said, I really liked being transported there again for this four issue comic set about Talanah. If you don't remember, Talanah is the hunter you meet at the Hunters lodge that eventually becomes the first woman Sunhawk (leader of the lodge). This story takes place after that event occurs.
Now, for people wondering, Aloy doesn't show up in the story. Instead, she shows up in memory flash backs as Talanah relates her story to another character. This is pretty typical of franchised content. Letting the main writers tell the story of the main character from the games and letting these side stories exist in a cross path feel as the world is fleshed out. Unless the novel or comic is written as a direct tie-in to a game or movie the extra stories fleshing out the universe tend to steer away from the main character in favor of the other characters sort of responding to the change in world state. Trying to write more about the main character has spectacularly back fired on publishers in the past such as Aliens: Earth War, where they tried to bring Ripley back... and well... then Alien 3 happened! I imagine most publishers aren't interested in going down that road again.
So, here we have a side adventure of Talanah and even though she is in charge of the hunters lodge, she decides to take a contract to hunt a machine with black armor. They sort of set up the motivation as her being restless in her new position and needing to get out and "find herself" more. I thought the motivation could have been fleshed out a little bit better, but it was fine enough to send us on a fun adventure through more of the world! That's why I was here after all...
The core story is pretty good, feels pretty side-quest-like as far as video games go, and along the way Talanah runs into another character named Amadis. His background story with the Red Raids was actually quite good and he wound up being a pretty interesting character for Talanah to team up with to hunt the machine. I can't say it was an amazingly original story overall, but I would hardly expect that nowadays. Basically, he was a soldier trying to do the right thing and being punished for it and now there's a bounty on his head for his troubles. So, when they cross paths with other hunters there's a bit of a problem.
The almost awesome part was that they discovered a machine factory, but then they never go in and then I remembered it was only Aloy who could do that kind of stuff. So, they have to look for another solution to deal with the situation and in that we meet and entirely new machine! This part was pretty cool and it makes me wonder if we'll be running into these things during the next video game installment. At the end of the series it did say Talanah's story continues there and all this did was make me more excited for the next game!
The art is pretty solid all around. They did a good job of translating the game environment into the comic book. Ann Maulina's art was sitting around what I'd expect for modern day comic book art. It doesn't get too abstract and manages to keep the fairly standard realism of the game that we'd probably expect as fans of the franchise.
In the end, if you're a Horizon Zero Dawn fan, then I can't imagine you'd find fault with this small story. It's a fun adventure at the very least and gives us an excuse to spend a little bit more time in the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. I'm hoping that they will do more to flesh out the world a little bit. I know the wilderness hunting aspect was a big part of the game, but I'd love to see some stories where the cities take a front seat. Maybe even some historical tales showing mankind rebuilding civilization a little bit or something along those lines.
August 14, 2021
I wasn’t a fan of graphic novels until I read this! Horizon Zero Dawn is my favourite video game of all time. While I love the main character of the video game, Aloy, and wish she was in the first volume a bit more, I do really enjoy being able to explore the other characters that she befriended and their storylines. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait for the second volume!
May 30, 2021
Дуже фанатська штука. Круто було побачити українські локалізації назв і дізнатися трохи більше про мисливицю Талану.
January 29, 2023
Not much Aloy in this graphic novel but I did enjoy the story overall and the continuity into the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West- which is a fantastic game. The art is beautiful. Talanah is my daughter’s favorite character 💕
November 2, 2025
What an interesting story! Now I might need to play the video game.
December 3, 2020
Horizon Zero Dawn is my all time favourite game so when I heard about the comic I absolutely had to get my hands on it. I really liked learning more about the world of Horizon and the comic was like a teaser for the upcoming game. Sadly the story of the comic was a bit dissappointing to me.
What I liked:
- I liked that the story focused on Talanah. It’s fun to learn more about the side characters Aloy met during the game.
- Seeing the new machines! I’m both excited and terrified now that I got a teaser of what’s most likely in store in Horizon Forbidden West.
- Learning more about the world of Horizon.
- The colours of the comic. I’m happy they didn’t pick a murky colour scheme but went for a more vivid approach.
What didn’t work for me:
- I was ready to love the story but found myself not caring about the characters at all. I felt that the story didn’t give me enough moments to get to really know them to form an emotional connection. This is a big flaw in a story that dealt with pretty emotional subjects.
- I felt that the art was good for action scenes but it wasn’t able to convey emotion through facial expressions that effectively. That most likely contributed to the lack of care towards the characters.
- If this hadn’t been a Horizon story I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
Still, I’m looking forward to the next part that was promised at the end of the book! I’m always up for learning more about the world.
What I liked:
- I liked that the story focused on Talanah. It’s fun to learn more about the side characters Aloy met during the game.
- Seeing the new machines! I’m both excited and terrified now that I got a teaser of what’s most likely in store in Horizon Forbidden West.
- Learning more about the world of Horizon.
- The colours of the comic. I’m happy they didn’t pick a murky colour scheme but went for a more vivid approach.
What didn’t work for me:
- I was ready to love the story but found myself not caring about the characters at all. I felt that the story didn’t give me enough moments to get to really know them to form an emotional connection. This is a big flaw in a story that dealt with pretty emotional subjects.
- I felt that the art was good for action scenes but it wasn’t able to convey emotion through facial expressions that effectively. That most likely contributed to the lack of care towards the characters.
- If this hadn’t been a Horizon story I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
Still, I’m looking forward to the next part that was promised at the end of the book! I’m always up for learning more about the world.
March 31, 2021
I liked learning more about Talanah and this comic also dropped some tantalizing hints about HZD2!
Read
January 31, 2021This comic book probably only makes sense if you played the game; there are a lot of background notes, but I don't know if those would be sufficient for people not familiar with the setting.
I was very happy that we got to see a story focusing on one of the more prominent side characters and not Aloy per se; but the plot itself I found rather lackluster. Bonus aggravation, I guess this also doubles as a content warning: . Hrrg.
Also, I felt like the colorist should have gotten better reference material from the developers, because in the game, color often serves to indicate information (like whether a machine is hostile) and here different colors were used in an inconsistent way.
My kid got this from the library because he is a HZD fan, but he bounced off of it; I did finish it, but felt it was meh.
___
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library
I was very happy that we got to see a story focusing on one of the more prominent side characters and not Aloy per se; but the plot itself I found rather lackluster. Bonus aggravation, I guess this also doubles as a content warning: . Hrrg.
Also, I felt like the colorist should have gotten better reference material from the developers, because in the game, color often serves to indicate information (like whether a machine is hostile) and here different colors were used in an inconsistent way.
My kid got this from the library because he is a HZD fan, but he bounced off of it; I did finish it, but felt it was meh.
___
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library
December 6, 2021
I wasn’t expecting much since comic book or any adaptation to be honest of video games are disappointing most of time, nonetheless it still was below my expectation. The art was alright, but the story was very thin. The best part was to find myself back in this universe, which was well presented with the robots and various type of weapons/traps to fight them. The ending open a door to the next games coming out next year, but I’m not sure the link between the comic and the game will be that much significant.
August 5, 2020
What a great way to continue the story!
I absolutely love the game and this new series is a great way to continue the story of Aloy's and Talanah's friendship and journey. I'm looking forward to the next one!
I absolutely love the game and this new series is a great way to continue the story of Aloy's and Talanah's friendship and journey. I'm looking forward to the next one!
January 18, 2022
Since I read this in English, I will also do the review in English. Please keep in mind that English isn't my primary language.
Before I start: keep in mind that I loved the Horizon Zero Dawn game and I think that is one, of very few, games that should be mandatory to play if you have any interest in gaming and/or interactive storytelling.
So, let us start with the game since it will explain some of my comments on this book. There are a lot of strengths in this game, and the world-building (back story) is the biggest, especially seen in the storytelling aspect. The backstory is so good that it almost pissed me off since this is the story that I wanted to write, but they beat me to it.
Something that is not strong in the game is the characters, which are fairly flat and one-dimensional. It does make sense though since this is a game. You want to let the player control the narrative, and that leaves less room for rounded characters. In the back story, there is more room for this, and we can also see more complex (read: interesting) characters in the back story.
Making a book (or a book series) of the game itself would have been a bad idea. Players make different choices, address problems in a different order, etc, and thus a book would never match the player's experience. But, the back story is fixed, and it is easy to miss details in it while playing, so the back story would have made a great book. Unfortunately, they didn't choose this path.
Now that we are done with the background: let's enter this book. It takes place after the game, and the narration is focused on one of the side characters from the game, Talanah. This is interesting and should work better than it does. The problem is that Talanah isn't given any more depth, and the new characters are as flat as in the game. Since the narrative is controlled in this story, I think the writer should have focused more on character development.
I also find the story to be more of a "trailer" for the next game, foreshadowing what we will see in that. As a gamer, and someone who pre-ordered the next game, I find this interesting, but it's not really the setup for a great story. A decent story, yes, but not a great one.
So, seen to the story only, I would probably give this three stars, but the drawings improve the experience, and I land in four stars. Not by much, but it is well worth reading it for the drawings alone, and the story is decent. It's more a story for existing fans, and will not pull new readers into this world, but for fans (like me) it is definitely worth the read.
Before I start: keep in mind that I loved the Horizon Zero Dawn game and I think that is one, of very few, games that should be mandatory to play if you have any interest in gaming and/or interactive storytelling.
So, let us start with the game since it will explain some of my comments on this book. There are a lot of strengths in this game, and the world-building (back story) is the biggest, especially seen in the storytelling aspect. The backstory is so good that it almost pissed me off since this is the story that I wanted to write, but they beat me to it.
Something that is not strong in the game is the characters, which are fairly flat and one-dimensional. It does make sense though since this is a game. You want to let the player control the narrative, and that leaves less room for rounded characters. In the back story, there is more room for this, and we can also see more complex (read: interesting) characters in the back story.
Making a book (or a book series) of the game itself would have been a bad idea. Players make different choices, address problems in a different order, etc, and thus a book would never match the player's experience. But, the back story is fixed, and it is easy to miss details in it while playing, so the back story would have made a great book. Unfortunately, they didn't choose this path.
Now that we are done with the background: let's enter this book. It takes place after the game, and the narration is focused on one of the side characters from the game, Talanah. This is interesting and should work better than it does. The problem is that Talanah isn't given any more depth, and the new characters are as flat as in the game. Since the narrative is controlled in this story, I think the writer should have focused more on character development.
I also find the story to be more of a "trailer" for the next game, foreshadowing what we will see in that. As a gamer, and someone who pre-ordered the next game, I find this interesting, but it's not really the setup for a great story. A decent story, yes, but not a great one.
So, seen to the story only, I would probably give this three stars, but the drawings improve the experience, and I land in four stars. Not by much, but it is well worth reading it for the drawings alone, and the story is decent. It's more a story for existing fans, and will not pull new readers into this world, but for fans (like me) it is definitely worth the read.
April 17, 2022
I never finished the game. Something about the controls and the movements on screen made me nauseous, so I never got past the first hour or so of gaming. I do know enough to understand why Aloy is such a good tracker and stuff. I've also seen enough First Nations players complain about the ''white savior'' aspect of the game to be a little on the fence.
All this aside, I've always wanted to play the game, and thought the comic might be a good substitute.
This comic is set after the game, and don't really have anything to do with Aloy at all. She makes an appearance in a flashback, but that's it, so the cover was seriously misleading.
The story in itself is interesting enough. I liked the MC and the conflicts she faced. The character growth and the general message of ''when you get what you've always dreamed of, who are you then?'', as it's something I talk with my partner about a lot.
Then there was the art...
I got used to it, but it was very flat and non-expressive. I had trouble telling the characters apart, as there was so little detail and they all had the same body and build of the face.
This is, unfortunately, a trend I keep seeing in modern comics, and I don't understand why. Do people prefer this art-style? Or is it the case of economics and pressure on the artist to finish quickly, because of the general ''need quick entertainment''-society among gamers these days?
All this aside, I've always wanted to play the game, and thought the comic might be a good substitute.
This comic is set after the game, and don't really have anything to do with Aloy at all. She makes an appearance in a flashback, but that's it, so the cover was seriously misleading.
The story in itself is interesting enough. I liked the MC and the conflicts she faced. The character growth and the general message of ''when you get what you've always dreamed of, who are you then?'', as it's something I talk with my partner about a lot.
Then there was the art...
I got used to it, but it was very flat and non-expressive. I had trouble telling the characters apart, as there was so little detail and they all had the same body and build of the face.
This is, unfortunately, a trend I keep seeing in modern comics, and I don't understand why. Do people prefer this art-style? Or is it the case of economics and pressure on the artist to finish quickly, because of the general ''need quick entertainment''-society among gamers these days?
April 15, 2022
I read this after volume two, but it didn't hurt anything - they are entirely separate stories. The focus on Talanah allows it to go further afield (Aloy's only present for a brief moment at the beginning and then a short flashback sequence), and it feels like it's setting up the Forbidden West, rather than sticking to the plot and world of the first game. It features a lot more robot action, which is part of why I enjoyed it more than the second volume - it feels a lot more anchored in the world, especially when it comes to the tactics used by the protagonists to deal with the machines. And the final conflict is fairly epic and very much in keeping with the world.
I had a soft spot for Talanah after playing Horizon Zero Dawn, so seeing her get filled out a bit more here made for an enjoyable treat. The art does a pretty good job with the characters, and a very good job of capturing the machines in action. This is a definite recommendation for fans of the games.
I had a soft spot for Talanah after playing Horizon Zero Dawn, so seeing her get filled out a bit more here made for an enjoyable treat. The art does a pretty good job with the characters, and a very good job of capturing the machines in action. This is a definite recommendation for fans of the games.
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January 12, 2022As a giant fan of the video game, I really loved follow Talanah. She’s such a strong character and I love her determination. It was interesting to see her adventures outside of what we see with Aloy in the game.
Also Talanah and Erend being best buds would be amazing to see more of.
Excited to see her more in forbidden west (it said we would see her at the end of the comic)
Also enjoyed that they gave little bits of information about the lore in case someone reads this without playing the game.
Excited for the second volume and it definitely gave me a little of the horizon zero dawn world while I wait for the second game.
Also Talanah and Erend being best buds would be amazing to see more of.
Excited to see her more in forbidden west (it said we would see her at the end of the comic)
Also enjoyed that they gave little bits of information about the lore in case someone reads this without playing the game.
Excited for the second volume and it definitely gave me a little of the horizon zero dawn world while I wait for the second game.
September 18, 2022
I love Horizon's storytelling and world so I was obviously going to love this. Does a great job at giving character to a character from the games who desperately needed it, while giving her enough room to grow in the sequel.
My only complaint is that the art for the action scenes lack a lot of momentum and could have been much more visually exciting.
Looking forward to reading the second one soon as I continue to play through Forbidden West!
My only complaint is that the art for the action scenes lack a lot of momentum and could have been much more visually exciting.
Looking forward to reading the second one soon as I continue to play through Forbidden West!
December 5, 2020
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best games I’ve ever played; it certainly has the best and most unexpected storyline. Once I finished the game though, I was wishing there were books to continue this amazing world. And now there are! This first GN picks up with some side characters after the completion of the first game. It is solid. Not mind-blowing but enjoyable. I’m glad to revisit the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. And I look forward to the next volume!
November 20, 2023
A decent tie in with the first Horizon game that chooses to focus on characters that are not Aloy. This is always a risk given the user base for this game/ tie in will likely have a longing for more Aloy but the story is decent and feels that part of the game.
The art is a little too cartoony for my liking but it is serviceable.
3/5
The art is a little too cartoony for my liking but it is serviceable.
3/5
June 3, 2022
Ich habe das Spiel selbst nie gespielt, weil ich dafür einfach zu untalentiert und panisch bin, aber hier hatte ich das Gefühl, wirklich ein gutes Stück in die Welt von Horizon Zero Dawn abtauchen zu können. Wobei, zeitlich spielt es ja eher zwischen den Spielen. Oder zwischen Zero Dawn und dem DLC?
Ich fand es auch cool, ein paar neue Maschinen kennenlernen zu können, die ich beim Zusehen des ersten Spiels noch nicht gesehen habe. Was mich aber am meisten begeistert, ist die Tiefe der Charaktere und Handlung, die auf diesen eigentlich recht wenig Seiten vermittelt wird. Trotz dass ich nur ein wenig bei Zero Dawn zugesehen und nicht so viel der Story oder von Aloy (die hier nur nebensächlich ist und wenig vorkommt) mitbekommen habe, schafft der Comic ein klares und strukturiertes Weltbild, gibt viel Tiefe und wirkt damit insgesamt sehr authentisch und fesselnd.
Ich fand es auch cool, ein paar neue Maschinen kennenlernen zu können, die ich beim Zusehen des ersten Spiels noch nicht gesehen habe. Was mich aber am meisten begeistert, ist die Tiefe der Charaktere und Handlung, die auf diesen eigentlich recht wenig Seiten vermittelt wird. Trotz dass ich nur ein wenig bei Zero Dawn zugesehen und nicht so viel der Story oder von Aloy (die hier nur nebensächlich ist und wenig vorkommt) mitbekommen habe, schafft der Comic ein klares und strukturiertes Weltbild, gibt viel Tiefe und wirkt damit insgesamt sehr authentisch und fesselnd.
August 11, 2020
3.5/5
Mostly meh, but enough of a hook to get me to come back for #2. The plot definitely needs to pick up, and I’m still not sold on the art.
Mostly meh, but enough of a hook to get me to come back for #2. The plot definitely needs to pick up, and I’m still not sold on the art.
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