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Life is Strange Comics #6
Life Is Strange Vol. 6: Settling Dust
The heart-wrenching conclusion to Max and Chloe’s story from the best-selling Life is Strange comic series.
In the face of an unimaginable threat, can Max use her power to save everyone she loves – and return home? Following on from the BAFTA award-winning videogame Life is Strange, Max Caulfield believes that she has found a way to cross the timelines and return to the woman she loves, Chloe Price. In doing so, she will have to leave behind the life she has built with a new Chloe, in a world where Rachel Amber never died. But Max is not alone, as friends and allies old and new – including Tristan, the band the High Seas, and fan-favorite ‘queen of the nerds’, Steph Gingrich – rally to help her in her hour of need!
In the face of an unimaginable threat, can Max use her power to save everyone she loves – and return home? Following on from the BAFTA award-winning videogame Life is Strange, Max Caulfield believes that she has found a way to cross the timelines and return to the woman she loves, Chloe Price. In doing so, she will have to leave behind the life she has built with a new Chloe, in a world where Rachel Amber never died. But Max is not alone, as friends and allies old and new – including Tristan, the band the High Seas, and fan-favorite ‘queen of the nerds’, Steph Gingrich – rally to help her in her hour of need!
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2022
23 people are currently reading
817 people want to read
About the author
Emma Vieceli
170 books320 followersEmma Vieceli (born June 13, 1979, in Essex) is a professional British comics artist of Italian-English heritage. She is currently a resident of a small village in Cambridgeshire, England.
From self-publishing to some of the biggest book publishers in the world, Emma loves telling stories with pictures and believes that comics should be 'For everyone, About anything, By anyone' (<--FAB!).
The writer for Life is Strange (Titan comics), she is happy to cross the streams and works as both writer and artist depending on the project. Her recent work as an artist includes: The Modern Frankenstein (Magma Comix), Olivia Twist (Dark Horse), Alex Rider (Walker books), The Adventures of Supergirl (DC comics), Doctor Who (Titan comics), Jem & the holograms (IDW) the New York Times-bestselling Vampire Academy graphic novel series (PenguinRandomHouse), Back to the Future (IDW) and Avalon Chronicles (Oni Press)
She co-creates the critically acclaimed independent web series, BREAKS with Malin Ryden (collected editions published through SoaringPenguin), with Vieceli co-writing and 'comicking' (art/tone/letters).
Alongside comics, she worked on the A&E television series, Bates Motel, providing the sketchbook found by Norman Bates, as an artist with tinyrebel on their Doctor Who Infinity games, and recently joined the writing team for Vile Monarch's life sim video game, Growing Up.
From self-publishing to some of the biggest book publishers in the world, Emma loves telling stories with pictures and believes that comics should be 'For everyone, About anything, By anyone' (<--FAB!).
The writer for Life is Strange (Titan comics), she is happy to cross the streams and works as both writer and artist depending on the project. Her recent work as an artist includes: The Modern Frankenstein (Magma Comix), Olivia Twist (Dark Horse), Alex Rider (Walker books), The Adventures of Supergirl (DC comics), Doctor Who (Titan comics), Jem & the holograms (IDW) the New York Times-bestselling Vampire Academy graphic novel series (PenguinRandomHouse), Back to the Future (IDW) and Avalon Chronicles (Oni Press)
She co-creates the critically acclaimed independent web series, BREAKS with Malin Ryden (collected editions published through SoaringPenguin), with Vieceli co-writing and 'comicking' (art/tone/letters).
Alongside comics, she worked on the A&E television series, Bates Motel, providing the sketchbook found by Norman Bates, as an artist with tinyrebel on their Doctor Who Infinity games, and recently joined the writing team for Vile Monarch's life sim video game, Growing Up.
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April 10, 2026
You're doing what you're doing, just to get you where you're going, yeah I see it, baby / Just don't lose yourself along the way, no~oo (Girl With the Tattoo – Miguel).
Hey, I did it, I finished everything the Life is Strange series has to offer! Well... this sucks. Now what? I mean, I still haven’t played Life is Strange 2 and there’s a True Colors comic series out there, but I’m not too interested in the former because it seems a bit too heavy for me right now and the latter is another one of those “we’re in an alternate timeline where Rachel Amber never died and she's together with Chloe and they're happy in gay bliss forever and ever” stories, and considering I’ve already talked to death as to why I think that’s a flawed story direction to go for in the Life is Strange saga, I won’t bore you to death with the same old diatribe. That being said... oh what the hell, how about one more time for the road? I mean, this is the end, so why don’t I do that thing every movie does when they repeat a line from earlier in the movie at the climax in an attempt to convince the audience that there’s emotional weight because it’s being said at the crescendo. Hey, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse did it with, like, five different lines! So the thing is, Rachel Amber’s death is the inciting incident for both Max Caulfield and Chloe Price’s character arcs, it’s the entire reason the first game's story even exists in the first place, and while it’s tragic and unfair and sucks because Before the Storm fleshed out her character even more, it’s still necessary for the narrative to have impact. So by creating all of these happy little alternative histories that are constantly showing that Chloe would have been happier with an alive Rachel Amber, it takes away a lot of what makes the story so captivating in the first place. You don’t have fans of Twin Peaks constantly saying that the story would have been better had Laura Palmer survived and lived happily-ever-after, now do you? I just find it so interesting that people can become fans of a story, and yet when the fandom gets their hands on it, they strip away everything that made it interesting by changing every little thing about it that made it unique! What gives? So, while you can take a look at my ratings for this entire series and see that I really liked it, loved it even, there’s still part of me that was never able to get on board with this idea that we can all have our cake and eat it too if we had just imagined a million universes out there with an infinite amount of possibilities.
I’m sure I’ve said this already, but I don’t like multiverse stories as a general rule, and the only time I can dig them is when they actually do something or say something with the format. Because say what you will about James Gunn (I know I have), but at least he had taken one look at the current state of the MCU and the fact that (Infinity War spoilers) Gamora was thrown off of the “Woman Killing Mountain” by Thanos and promptly replaced with an alternate version of the character and used this as a metaphor to explore a break-up between her and Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3. Or how about how Everything Everywhere All at Once travels to all these mind-bending realities, but then Michelle Yeoh realizes that the happiest one is her original life where she can be bored with the people she loves. When a multiverse story line is used as an excuse to allow all of our favorite characters to be happy, then that’s when the quality of the story takes a dip. And sheesh, let me just say that I find the current MCU bullshit where they’re bringing back all the old actors to again play the same roles they’ve been playing since the 90’s to be the most egregious use of nostalgia bait and transparent corporate story-telling to date. How fucking cynical has the movie landscape become when the big-wigs at Marvel and Disney expect people to clap and cheer like barking seals at a row of empty seats with names on them!? "Holy moley, and actor playing a role they're known for playing!?" I mean, I’m sure there was many a cheer, but in my perfectly happy alternative universe, everybody would have taken one look at all the stuff Marvel’s doing with their cinematic universe and turned the other way. You know, started indulging in something with real artistic expression or something. Maybe watch a good movie for once? Something starring Chow Yun-fat, I reckon. Anyway, I don’t like multiverse stuff, and the sooner the story does some bullshit like combine all the universes into one main one or closes off access altogether (like in Life is Strange: Double Exposure), the better. And I’ve got to say that I’m starting to think that this graphic novel series was mainly used as a vehicle to which the author could create a story where Rachel Amber got her perceived deserved ending.
Don't get me wrong, I like Rachel Amber and I think that’s a sweet sentiment, but it almost feels like it’s at the cost of what made that first game so special. See, Max can alter realities and change the past, but the story is never about whether or not she can unmake all of her mistakes, but rather whether or not she’s able to live with the consequences and move on. All that said, I do think that overall, Settling Dust was a satisfying ending to this comic run, and while I’ll always have my own gripes with certain aspects, I have to hand it to Emma Vieceli for sticking to telling the story she wanted to tell. Because even if this story line didn’t feel like it stayed fully true to my interpretation of Life is Strange, Settling Dust is true and honest to every volume that preceded it. And who knows, maybe I’m just feeling particularly fond of the entire franchise at the moment because I also finished the newest game, Life is Strange: Reunion, which was billed as “the definitive ending to Max and Chloe’s story” and as you can probably guess, I loved it! And this could just be because I read this series and played Reunion at the same time, but it’s actually kind of wild how similar they are. In both, Chloe has matured into being less selfish and abrasive, Max has to again learn how to stop blaming herself for every little thing that happens, and there’s a whole lot of emotional weight put on the outcome of their relationship. But if I had to choose, I’d say I enjoyed Reunion a little more because even though the story is about Max and Chloe trying to stop a devastating fire before it happens, the main theme is about learning to live with tragedy and finding happiness despite the pain. I also liked how Chloe spends the entire game trying to make it up to Max (because she, you know, broke up with Max over her projecting her own insecurities on to her) and proving that she isn’t the same impulsive wannabe rebel that she was in the first game. Because I know this might be a controversial opinion, but I think Max and Chloe had better chemistry in the newest game than they did in the first Life is Strange. Sure, the first game is a classic and I’m well aware that their relationship only works as perfectly as it does in Reunion due to their shared history as chronicled in the previous installments, it's building off of a strong foundation, but I really liked how it really felt like they were more on even footing this time around, and seeing Max being able to stand up for herself and have character growth outside of her relationship to the whirlwind that is Chloe Price was the best kind of ending to her arc that I could possibly imagine.
“Somewhere out there, Rachel fucking lived her life. And you got to meet her.”
“I did.”
“And I still look hot with blue hair… I mean, that’s what’s really fucking upset me.”
“Hey, you look hot whatever color your hair is.”
Because the thing is, for most of the first Life is Strange, it mostly feels like Max is just swept up and going along with whatever Chloe wants her to, being a rebel just for kicks now and all that, but the problem is that it could easily be interpreted that Max is using Chloe as her Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You know, like the crazy wild girl that could transform Max into her truest and most free version of herself. And I think we all know what happens when you love the idea of a person rather than who they truly are, just ask Gatsby, he's dead because of it! Er, spoilers for The Great Gatsby, very old book, The Great Gatsby? The ending where they both drive off into the sunset together on a gay road trip (which is also how Reunion ends, full circle and all that) was really beautiful and poignant, but I always felt like there was more to explore and a whole lot of unanswered questions to be answered. And I guess that's the point, both Max and Chloe deliberately put off dealing with the aftermath of the storm, and that repression eventually became corrosive enough to where they both started to resent each other, leading to their eventual break-up. In that regard, this is the reason why I think the plot point given in Double Exposure where it was revealed that Chloe broke up with Max in the decade between installments makes the most sense as an ending for that chapter of their lives, because even though they’re obviously still in love with each other, I think they needed some time a part to grow up a little bit before reuniting and being able to work out their problems. Some space, if you will. One thing of note is the fact that one of Chloe’s reasons behind breaking up with Max was because she grew paranoid over thinking Max might have been using her time traveling powers without her knowledge, but as she spends more time away from Max, she quickly comes to realize just how out of pocket the accusation was. It's cool how Reunion features a Chloe that has reflected on the fact that if anybody else had world altering powers like Max does, then they would probably immediately turn evil on some Twilight Zone, “It’s a Good Life” type shit. But no, instead Max just uses her time shifting superpower to either save people’s lives or fix awkward conversations. Literally a saint! That's the strangest thing about these games, huh? That it features someone that would actually do good things despite the fact that nobody would ever notice. Because let’s be real, people abuse even the smallest amount of power given to them!
Reddit mods, members of a Neighborhood Watch, those people on Goodreads who have bios like, “Only add me if you’re interactive, if not, you’ll get dropped teehee” and it’s like, who do you think you are, Beyoncé!? Just delete the people you want to, no need to get all Martin Luther, "town crier" about it. Um, not to get stuck on this, but these people are also the most likely to never interact with other people, and yet they expect everybody to treat them like some kind of influencer? Be for real. So yeah, moving on though, like I said, I think the resolution to Chloe and Max relationship was handled better in the Reunion than in this comic, but that doesn’t mean that Settling Dust was bad or the wrong way to go about it! The graphic novel adaption just explores the struggles between them a little differently, as Reunion forces the characters to live with their mistakes and decide where to go from there, Settling Dust instead uses the whole multiverse thing to showcase a reality where Max and Chloe’s worlds don’t have to revolve around each other. They both have the theme of moving on and allowing yourself to be happy with the decisions you’ve made, just tackled in a different manner. They’re both good! Settling Dust just tries to be a little more sweet with its narrative and that's totally okay because Max and Chloe really need a break from being the universe's punching bag. Besides, it’s rare that you find two separate pieces of art that have a completely satisfying ending that doesn't betray its characters for plot contrivances, let alone from the same series in different mediums! Sure, you’ve got the infamously terrible ending to Game of Thrones that I could (and have) go on about for days, but I always marvel at the kinds of endings that are so~oo bad that the super fans trick themselves into thinking there’s some kind of secret ending that the writers were hiding from the general public... for some reason? It's just interesting to me because would fans really be happy if some hack writer actually decided to try pulling the rug out from under fans by inserting a "it was all a dream" twist into the climax of their beloved show!? Because I would find that infinitely worse than if an ending was just... bad. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this, as Stranger Things is the most recent recipient of this phenomena where people get so mad at an awful ending that they end up succumbing to what can only be described as some kind of mass delusion and claim that the writing inconsistencies only makes sense if you attribute them to a cleverly hidden message rather than the simple fact that the Duffer Brothers are bad writers. All you have to do is take a gander at the Russian sub-plot in season four, that shit was literally the worst thing I've ever seen and I'm not being hyperbolic.
I mean, I’m one of the rare people that believes with my whole heart that the only good season of Stranger Things was the first one where it was understood that the emotional core of the show was Winona Ryder’s character and not the dumb kids who can’t act, so there was never any disappointment or betrayal from my end. Sometimes it's nice to be a bystander to fandom drama because it's like watching one of those catastrophe movies like The Day After Tomorrow or 2009's 2012 where I can just sit here and enjoy the spectacle. Hell, sometimes I watch those hour long YouTube videos about random ass drama when I'm folding clothes or doing the dishes just so I can take solace in the fact that I'm not involved at all! But really though, I just think it’s funny how fans of something will always try to find excuses for the catastrophic fall-offs of their favorite shows and they always, always, take it to the next level. And just like how Stranger Things is completely derivative of stories from the 80's that actually have a unique identity, Stranger Things fans aren’t even unique in their "bad ending" coping mechanisms, because the same thing happened with the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes show where, again, fans tricked themselves into believing there was a secret final season due to the ending season being, again, really bad. I mean, come on, this rendition of everybody's favorite detective was always bad, and the writers proved themselves flops the second they made Irene Adler completely subservient and intellectually inferior to Sherlock Holmes. Wrong, try again! So yeah, the notoriously bad ending that I remember fondly is when Mass Effect fans felt the need to create a theory saying the main character, Shepard, was being mind-controlled throughout the entirety of the third act simply because they didn’t like the way everything wrapped up. Like, how is that better? My point here is that it’s very rare for a story to stay on point consistently and still manage to stick the landing, and I’m just appreciative that the few stories that I’ve been emotionally invested in did just that. Alright, I think that’s all I have to say about Life is Strange, can you believe it!? All done, just like that. I honestly can’t remember a series of games or books or comics that have made me go through this many emotional journeys. I think it might be the excessive use of sunsets, that always gets me! Is it strange that I feel empty now? Oh well, I guess that's one of the consequences of being Life is Strange fan. That’s cool, I’ll gladly accept my choices.
Those innocent eyes, that smile on your face makes it easy to trust you / If they only kne~ew, the girl with the tattoo... like I do.
Hey, I did it, I finished everything the Life is Strange series has to offer! Well... this sucks. Now what? I mean, I still haven’t played Life is Strange 2 and there’s a True Colors comic series out there, but I’m not too interested in the former because it seems a bit too heavy for me right now and the latter is another one of those “we’re in an alternate timeline where Rachel Amber never died and she's together with Chloe and they're happy in gay bliss forever and ever” stories, and considering I’ve already talked to death as to why I think that’s a flawed story direction to go for in the Life is Strange saga, I won’t bore you to death with the same old diatribe. That being said... oh what the hell, how about one more time for the road? I mean, this is the end, so why don’t I do that thing every movie does when they repeat a line from earlier in the movie at the climax in an attempt to convince the audience that there’s emotional weight because it’s being said at the crescendo. Hey, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse did it with, like, five different lines! So the thing is, Rachel Amber’s death is the inciting incident for both Max Caulfield and Chloe Price’s character arcs, it’s the entire reason the first game's story even exists in the first place, and while it’s tragic and unfair and sucks because Before the Storm fleshed out her character even more, it’s still necessary for the narrative to have impact. So by creating all of these happy little alternative histories that are constantly showing that Chloe would have been happier with an alive Rachel Amber, it takes away a lot of what makes the story so captivating in the first place. You don’t have fans of Twin Peaks constantly saying that the story would have been better had Laura Palmer survived and lived happily-ever-after, now do you? I just find it so interesting that people can become fans of a story, and yet when the fandom gets their hands on it, they strip away everything that made it interesting by changing every little thing about it that made it unique! What gives? So, while you can take a look at my ratings for this entire series and see that I really liked it, loved it even, there’s still part of me that was never able to get on board with this idea that we can all have our cake and eat it too if we had just imagined a million universes out there with an infinite amount of possibilities.
I’m sure I’ve said this already, but I don’t like multiverse stories as a general rule, and the only time I can dig them is when they actually do something or say something with the format. Because say what you will about James Gunn (I know I have), but at least he had taken one look at the current state of the MCU and the fact that (Infinity War spoilers) Gamora was thrown off of the “Woman Killing Mountain” by Thanos and promptly replaced with an alternate version of the character and used this as a metaphor to explore a break-up between her and Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3. Or how about how Everything Everywhere All at Once travels to all these mind-bending realities, but then Michelle Yeoh realizes that the happiest one is her original life where she can be bored with the people she loves. When a multiverse story line is used as an excuse to allow all of our favorite characters to be happy, then that’s when the quality of the story takes a dip. And sheesh, let me just say that I find the current MCU bullshit where they’re bringing back all the old actors to again play the same roles they’ve been playing since the 90’s to be the most egregious use of nostalgia bait and transparent corporate story-telling to date. How fucking cynical has the movie landscape become when the big-wigs at Marvel and Disney expect people to clap and cheer like barking seals at a row of empty seats with names on them!? "Holy moley, and actor playing a role they're known for playing!?" I mean, I’m sure there was many a cheer, but in my perfectly happy alternative universe, everybody would have taken one look at all the stuff Marvel’s doing with their cinematic universe and turned the other way. You know, started indulging in something with real artistic expression or something. Maybe watch a good movie for once? Something starring Chow Yun-fat, I reckon. Anyway, I don’t like multiverse stuff, and the sooner the story does some bullshit like combine all the universes into one main one or closes off access altogether (like in Life is Strange: Double Exposure), the better. And I’ve got to say that I’m starting to think that this graphic novel series was mainly used as a vehicle to which the author could create a story where Rachel Amber got her perceived deserved ending.
Don't get me wrong, I like Rachel Amber and I think that’s a sweet sentiment, but it almost feels like it’s at the cost of what made that first game so special. See, Max can alter realities and change the past, but the story is never about whether or not she can unmake all of her mistakes, but rather whether or not she’s able to live with the consequences and move on. All that said, I do think that overall, Settling Dust was a satisfying ending to this comic run, and while I’ll always have my own gripes with certain aspects, I have to hand it to Emma Vieceli for sticking to telling the story she wanted to tell. Because even if this story line didn’t feel like it stayed fully true to my interpretation of Life is Strange, Settling Dust is true and honest to every volume that preceded it. And who knows, maybe I’m just feeling particularly fond of the entire franchise at the moment because I also finished the newest game, Life is Strange: Reunion, which was billed as “the definitive ending to Max and Chloe’s story” and as you can probably guess, I loved it! And this could just be because I read this series and played Reunion at the same time, but it’s actually kind of wild how similar they are. In both, Chloe has matured into being less selfish and abrasive, Max has to again learn how to stop blaming herself for every little thing that happens, and there’s a whole lot of emotional weight put on the outcome of their relationship. But if I had to choose, I’d say I enjoyed Reunion a little more because even though the story is about Max and Chloe trying to stop a devastating fire before it happens, the main theme is about learning to live with tragedy and finding happiness despite the pain. I also liked how Chloe spends the entire game trying to make it up to Max (because she, you know, broke up with Max over her projecting her own insecurities on to her) and proving that she isn’t the same impulsive wannabe rebel that she was in the first game. Because I know this might be a controversial opinion, but I think Max and Chloe had better chemistry in the newest game than they did in the first Life is Strange. Sure, the first game is a classic and I’m well aware that their relationship only works as perfectly as it does in Reunion due to their shared history as chronicled in the previous installments, it's building off of a strong foundation, but I really liked how it really felt like they were more on even footing this time around, and seeing Max being able to stand up for herself and have character growth outside of her relationship to the whirlwind that is Chloe Price was the best kind of ending to her arc that I could possibly imagine.
“Somewhere out there, Rachel fucking lived her life. And you got to meet her.”
“I did.”
“And I still look hot with blue hair… I mean, that’s what’s really fucking upset me.”
“Hey, you look hot whatever color your hair is.”
Because the thing is, for most of the first Life is Strange, it mostly feels like Max is just swept up and going along with whatever Chloe wants her to, being a rebel just for kicks now and all that, but the problem is that it could easily be interpreted that Max is using Chloe as her Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You know, like the crazy wild girl that could transform Max into her truest and most free version of herself. And I think we all know what happens when you love the idea of a person rather than who they truly are, just ask Gatsby, he's dead because of it! Er, spoilers for The Great Gatsby, very old book, The Great Gatsby? The ending where they both drive off into the sunset together on a gay road trip (which is also how Reunion ends, full circle and all that) was really beautiful and poignant, but I always felt like there was more to explore and a whole lot of unanswered questions to be answered. And I guess that's the point, both Max and Chloe deliberately put off dealing with the aftermath of the storm, and that repression eventually became corrosive enough to where they both started to resent each other, leading to their eventual break-up. In that regard, this is the reason why I think the plot point given in Double Exposure where it was revealed that Chloe broke up with Max in the decade between installments makes the most sense as an ending for that chapter of their lives, because even though they’re obviously still in love with each other, I think they needed some time a part to grow up a little bit before reuniting and being able to work out their problems. Some space, if you will. One thing of note is the fact that one of Chloe’s reasons behind breaking up with Max was because she grew paranoid over thinking Max might have been using her time traveling powers without her knowledge, but as she spends more time away from Max, she quickly comes to realize just how out of pocket the accusation was. It's cool how Reunion features a Chloe that has reflected on the fact that if anybody else had world altering powers like Max does, then they would probably immediately turn evil on some Twilight Zone, “It’s a Good Life” type shit. But no, instead Max just uses her time shifting superpower to either save people’s lives or fix awkward conversations. Literally a saint! That's the strangest thing about these games, huh? That it features someone that would actually do good things despite the fact that nobody would ever notice. Because let’s be real, people abuse even the smallest amount of power given to them!
Reddit mods, members of a Neighborhood Watch, those people on Goodreads who have bios like, “Only add me if you’re interactive, if not, you’ll get dropped teehee” and it’s like, who do you think you are, Beyoncé!? Just delete the people you want to, no need to get all Martin Luther, "town crier" about it. Um, not to get stuck on this, but these people are also the most likely to never interact with other people, and yet they expect everybody to treat them like some kind of influencer? Be for real. So yeah, moving on though, like I said, I think the resolution to Chloe and Max relationship was handled better in the Reunion than in this comic, but that doesn’t mean that Settling Dust was bad or the wrong way to go about it! The graphic novel adaption just explores the struggles between them a little differently, as Reunion forces the characters to live with their mistakes and decide where to go from there, Settling Dust instead uses the whole multiverse thing to showcase a reality where Max and Chloe’s worlds don’t have to revolve around each other. They both have the theme of moving on and allowing yourself to be happy with the decisions you’ve made, just tackled in a different manner. They’re both good! Settling Dust just tries to be a little more sweet with its narrative and that's totally okay because Max and Chloe really need a break from being the universe's punching bag. Besides, it’s rare that you find two separate pieces of art that have a completely satisfying ending that doesn't betray its characters for plot contrivances, let alone from the same series in different mediums! Sure, you’ve got the infamously terrible ending to Game of Thrones that I could (and have) go on about for days, but I always marvel at the kinds of endings that are so~oo bad that the super fans trick themselves into thinking there’s some kind of secret ending that the writers were hiding from the general public... for some reason? It's just interesting to me because would fans really be happy if some hack writer actually decided to try pulling the rug out from under fans by inserting a "it was all a dream" twist into the climax of their beloved show!? Because I would find that infinitely worse than if an ending was just... bad. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this, as Stranger Things is the most recent recipient of this phenomena where people get so mad at an awful ending that they end up succumbing to what can only be described as some kind of mass delusion and claim that the writing inconsistencies only makes sense if you attribute them to a cleverly hidden message rather than the simple fact that the Duffer Brothers are bad writers. All you have to do is take a gander at the Russian sub-plot in season four, that shit was literally the worst thing I've ever seen and I'm not being hyperbolic.
I mean, I’m one of the rare people that believes with my whole heart that the only good season of Stranger Things was the first one where it was understood that the emotional core of the show was Winona Ryder’s character and not the dumb kids who can’t act, so there was never any disappointment or betrayal from my end. Sometimes it's nice to be a bystander to fandom drama because it's like watching one of those catastrophe movies like The Day After Tomorrow or 2009's 2012 where I can just sit here and enjoy the spectacle. Hell, sometimes I watch those hour long YouTube videos about random ass drama when I'm folding clothes or doing the dishes just so I can take solace in the fact that I'm not involved at all! But really though, I just think it’s funny how fans of something will always try to find excuses for the catastrophic fall-offs of their favorite shows and they always, always, take it to the next level. And just like how Stranger Things is completely derivative of stories from the 80's that actually have a unique identity, Stranger Things fans aren’t even unique in their "bad ending" coping mechanisms, because the same thing happened with the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes show where, again, fans tricked themselves into believing there was a secret final season due to the ending season being, again, really bad. I mean, come on, this rendition of everybody's favorite detective was always bad, and the writers proved themselves flops the second they made Irene Adler completely subservient and intellectually inferior to Sherlock Holmes. Wrong, try again! So yeah, the notoriously bad ending that I remember fondly is when Mass Effect fans felt the need to create a theory saying the main character, Shepard, was being mind-controlled throughout the entirety of the third act simply because they didn’t like the way everything wrapped up. Like, how is that better? My point here is that it’s very rare for a story to stay on point consistently and still manage to stick the landing, and I’m just appreciative that the few stories that I’ve been emotionally invested in did just that. Alright, I think that’s all I have to say about Life is Strange, can you believe it!? All done, just like that. I honestly can’t remember a series of games or books or comics that have made me go through this many emotional journeys. I think it might be the excessive use of sunsets, that always gets me! Is it strange that I feel empty now? Oh well, I guess that's one of the consequences of being Life is Strange fan. That’s cool, I’ll gladly accept my choices.
Those innocent eyes, that smile on your face makes it easy to trust you / If they only kne~ew, the girl with the tattoo... like I do.
December 6, 2023
I'm too tired to truly get into how many retcons and narrative inconsistencies this volume brings about. I will attempt to summarize as best I can, but I could rant for a good hour here.
(Spoilers)
-The original game is supposed to be a tragedy. This comic attempts to cop-out on that by saying that in other timelines, everyone is happy. This is NOT how timelines were meant to work. Once Max makes a choice, the other timeline she didn't create CEASES to exist. It gets burned away. The other Rachel Amber no longer exists. She was only a possibility.
-The thing that made the original games such narrative masterpieces (meaning Life is Strange 1 and Before the Storm) was that it became obvious after playing both that Rachel Amber IS the storm. The story is a modern Shakespearean tragedy in the style of 'The Tempest'. This is made clear so many times, and yet there is another stupid storm in this comic while Rachel is alive. Idiotic and completely missing the point of the original narrative. This is a blatant plot hole. Put it this way: if Rachel Amber is the storm or caused the storm from the first game, then it is the single best written video game I have ever played. If Rachel Amber is NOT the storm, and it was caused by Max messing with time for some ridiculous reason, then the game is okay at best but has a good soundtrack. That is how crucial this plot point is. The entire story hinges on it. It's masterful writing, and the prequel makes it irrefutable. It's the reason I actually like the prequel more than the original game by far. The original seemed like it only barely knew what it was planning, but the prequel brings everything into focus and forms a masterpiece. Rachel is the jealous and possessive storm, and she has no dark side at all in this comic. Her dark side is what made her such a great character, and here she is just the perfect princess. It's silly. I love Amberprice so much, but they were always a much more complicated ship than this. They had way more layers than what is provided here.
Dontnod has already said that this comic is not canon, and that is the only reason I can overlook this rubbish. You cannot convince me, under torture, that this is canon. And let's not even get into the dumb new phase to Max's powers. It introduces a whole bunch of new issues to the continuity.
To summarize: Rachel Amber is the Storm. Life is Strange is meant to be a Shakespearian tragedy. This ending is abysmal. The End.
Edit: I'm back to be mad again. Upon a reread, I find myself wondering if the author even played Before the Storm. The obvious hints from the developers that Rachel Amber was the storm are delivered with the subtlety of a hammer to the face. The storm being caused by Max's powers never made sense. The storm was already coming before she used them for the first time; hence her nightmare in the classroom. God, this comic makes me sad. But not in the good way that stories are supposed to.
(Spoilers)
-The original game is supposed to be a tragedy. This comic attempts to cop-out on that by saying that in other timelines, everyone is happy. This is NOT how timelines were meant to work. Once Max makes a choice, the other timeline she didn't create CEASES to exist. It gets burned away. The other Rachel Amber no longer exists. She was only a possibility.
-The thing that made the original games such narrative masterpieces (meaning Life is Strange 1 and Before the Storm) was that it became obvious after playing both that Rachel Amber IS the storm. The story is a modern Shakespearean tragedy in the style of 'The Tempest'. This is made clear so many times, and yet there is another stupid storm in this comic while Rachel is alive. Idiotic and completely missing the point of the original narrative. This is a blatant plot hole. Put it this way: if Rachel Amber is the storm or caused the storm from the first game, then it is the single best written video game I have ever played. If Rachel Amber is NOT the storm, and it was caused by Max messing with time for some ridiculous reason, then the game is okay at best but has a good soundtrack. That is how crucial this plot point is. The entire story hinges on it. It's masterful writing, and the prequel makes it irrefutable. It's the reason I actually like the prequel more than the original game by far. The original seemed like it only barely knew what it was planning, but the prequel brings everything into focus and forms a masterpiece. Rachel is the jealous and possessive storm, and she has no dark side at all in this comic. Her dark side is what made her such a great character, and here she is just the perfect princess. It's silly. I love Amberprice so much, but they were always a much more complicated ship than this. They had way more layers than what is provided here.
Dontnod has already said that this comic is not canon, and that is the only reason I can overlook this rubbish. You cannot convince me, under torture, that this is canon. And let's not even get into the dumb new phase to Max's powers. It introduces a whole bunch of new issues to the continuity.
To summarize: Rachel Amber is the Storm. Life is Strange is meant to be a Shakespearian tragedy. This ending is abysmal. The End.
Edit: I'm back to be mad again. Upon a reread, I find myself wondering if the author even played Before the Storm. The obvious hints from the developers that Rachel Amber was the storm are delivered with the subtlety of a hammer to the face. The storm being caused by Max's powers never made sense. The storm was already coming before she used them for the first time; hence her nightmare in the classroom. God, this comic makes me sad. But not in the good way that stories are supposed to.
April 17, 2022
This series did not go the way I was expecting it to go! Is that a good thing? Well...it depends on your taste in storytelling. In regards to my taste in storytelling...it was not the greatest choice. I expected this series to be a bit more about grief after a tragedy and coming to terms with the fact that in the end, it's best not to go back because it's not good to live in the past, you eventually need to move forward. Having said that, I was expecting this to be one large volume, not 6 small ones. While I was a little disappointed that it didn't go the way I wanted it to, that has nothing to do with my rating. The first volume was my favorite by far because it did deal with some of the topics I was hoping it would, though.
Of all the timelines that Max could have ended up in, I did not like it. It erased the personalities of the original characters and rewrote them completely. All of these characters seemed to be the same but in slightly different styles. None of the romance pairings made sense to me and did not affect the plot.
While the idea of a timeline hopping graphic novel sounds interesting, the lack of distinction between realities affected the reading experience. In the first novel, faded transparency was used to show differences, but in the others, it was not there. When there was constantly going back and forth, not even a filter was used.
While I do miss the nostalgic feeling of the games, I know that a different setting and time were needed for this version of the story. This story wasn't uninteresting and the characters weren't intolerable. I liked the new characters like Tristan and the High Seas band. I loved that there was tons of casual representation in this series. Unfortunately, that is just about all I can compliment this series on.
I honestly wouldn't recommend this series if you haven't played the videos games and weren't a fan of them. This is a series for the fans written by the fans. Would I recommend this series to someone who has played the game? I don't know either! If you're a die-hard fan, go for it! If you tolerated the game, maybe it's good to skip out on this one.
Of all the timelines that Max could have ended up in, I did not like it. It erased the personalities of the original characters and rewrote them completely. All of these characters seemed to be the same but in slightly different styles. None of the romance pairings made sense to me and did not affect the plot.
While the idea of a timeline hopping graphic novel sounds interesting, the lack of distinction between realities affected the reading experience. In the first novel, faded transparency was used to show differences, but in the others, it was not there. When there was constantly going back and forth, not even a filter was used.
While I do miss the nostalgic feeling of the games, I know that a different setting and time were needed for this version of the story. This story wasn't uninteresting and the characters weren't intolerable. I liked the new characters like Tristan and the High Seas band. I loved that there was tons of casual representation in this series. Unfortunately, that is just about all I can compliment this series on.
I honestly wouldn't recommend this series if you haven't played the videos games and weren't a fan of them. This is a series for the fans written by the fans. Would I recommend this series to someone who has played the game? I don't know either! If you're a die-hard fan, go for it! If you tolerated the game, maybe it's good to skip out on this one.
March 26, 2024
This was just pure serotonin for me.
I am so sad to let Max and Chloe go, but my heart feels so at ease knowing they’re alright, together, and madly in love with each other.
I will definitely go back to reread it whenever I miss them (which will happen quite often, I’m guessing).
Loved the Alex Chen sneak peek at the end of this volume, and her and Steph’s sketches. I’m so ready to read about this new pair! And again, thanks to the authors who chose to write the story from the ending I chose for True Colors as well. I’m super excited and I’m looking forward to the next publication!
I am so sad to let Max and Chloe go, but my heart feels so at ease knowing they’re alright, together, and madly in love with each other.
I will definitely go back to reread it whenever I miss them (which will happen quite often, I’m guessing).
Loved the Alex Chen sneak peek at the end of this volume, and her and Steph’s sketches. I’m so ready to read about this new pair! And again, thanks to the authors who chose to write the story from the ending I chose for True Colors as well. I’m super excited and I’m looking forward to the next publication!
August 12, 2022
why did it take me so long to read the rest of this series
i desperately needed that max and chloe happy ending thank you
i desperately needed that max and chloe happy ending thank you
July 24, 2022
tristan jako mc następnej gry to coś więcej niż potrzeba
January 29, 2023
Will miss this series very badly
January 15, 2025
The final volume of this comic series provides a heartfelt conclusion that wraps up every major storyline nicely. In my opinion, the quality of this series was always at a consistently high level, and it overall did a great job expanding upon and reimagining the LiS universe and its characters. I love the time travel mechanic in the first game, and I really like how it's been expanded upon in the comic series.
For every fan of Max, Chloe, and Rachel out there, I think it’s worth delving into this series and seeing for yourself where their path(s) in this alternate universe may take them. I also really like the art style of this series, and even though this is maybe a trivial thing to point out, I thought that the outfits, hairstyles, and accessories that the main trio are drawn with always suited them well. It's a small detail, but it shows, to me, that the people behind the comic series put thought and care into the characters.
For every fan of Max, Chloe, and Rachel out there, I think it’s worth delving into this series and seeing for yourself where their path(s) in this alternate universe may take them. I also really like the art style of this series, and even though this is maybe a trivial thing to point out, I thought that the outfits, hairstyles, and accessories that the main trio are drawn with always suited them well. It's a small detail, but it shows, to me, that the people behind the comic series put thought and care into the characters.
April 23, 2024
Good enough ending. Not disappointing but not as great as the game's story. I guess I had high expectations.
It feels like now I don't even want to recommend this strongly to people who have played the game too. Only read if you can't get enough of Max and Chloe and are okay with a supplemental story that is not canon with the game. Ignore this series if you have high expectations about the storyline being at par or better than the game. Because it's not. It's "okay" at best.
It feels like now I don't even want to recommend this strongly to people who have played the game too. Only read if you can't get enough of Max and Chloe and are okay with a supplemental story that is not canon with the game. Ignore this series if you have high expectations about the storyline being at par or better than the game. Because it's not. It's "okay" at best.
December 31, 2025
finishing off with pricefield finally getting back together 🥹🥹❤️🫶 happy new year everyone!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2024
I love love love seeing Max and Chloe together again. loved these comics despite their confusing nature, and I'm glad to see them together again after everything and having their good ending (IGNORING DOUBLE EXPOSURE. UGH). I will say though. Chloe's outfit in the end was horrendous. Max's outfits though were always amazing. You go girl!
April 16, 2024
The perfect happy ending for Max and Chloe that I’ve needed for years now. Bae over Bay always ❤️🥰
Read
March 28, 2022Y con esto termina la historia de Max Caulfield y Chloe Price. Un viaje precioso, pero no por ello menos doloroso. Del videojuego al cómic, una relación que se ha negado a morir en un medio y ha dado el salto al otro.
No hacía falta esta secuela, todo podría haber quedado en píxeles, pero esta continuación en viñetas voy a agradecerla siempre. Nos da más tiempo entre las dos, da más perspectiva a Max de sus poderes y este extraño mundo en el que vive, y además ha podido conocer a Rachel. Pero lo que más agradezco son esos dos últimos números con ellas por fin reunidas y viviendo en paz, sin dramas ni tormentas casi apocalípticas. Solo dos chicas enamoradas viviendo sus vidas, felices. Ya por eso merece la pena leer esto.
Mis dieces a Emma Vieceli, Claudia Leonardi y Andrea Izzo, tres autoras que tenían un gran peso en sus hombros para seguir dando vida a las protagonistas y su entorno y han sabido hacerlo de maravilla. Ojalá verlas colaborar de nuevo en algo más.
No hacía falta esta secuela, todo podría haber quedado en píxeles, pero esta continuación en viñetas voy a agradecerla siempre. Nos da más tiempo entre las dos, da más perspectiva a Max de sus poderes y este extraño mundo en el que vive, y además ha podido conocer a Rachel. Pero lo que más agradezco son esos dos últimos números con ellas por fin reunidas y viviendo en paz, sin dramas ni tormentas casi apocalípticas. Solo dos chicas enamoradas viviendo sus vidas, felices. Ya por eso merece la pena leer esto.
Mis dieces a Emma Vieceli, Claudia Leonardi y Andrea Izzo, tres autoras que tenían un gran peso en sus hombros para seguir dando vida a las protagonistas y su entorno y han sabido hacerlo de maravilla. Ojalá verlas colaborar de nuevo en algo más.
February 21, 2024
A beautiful story to end this series, we had most of the characters back which did the comic really well. Perfect if your A life is strange fan. Beautiful graphics and art style.
When the storm enters, Max manged to get back to her Chloe. Chloe gives Max A tour of Arcadia Bay Chloe tells Max how the whale dinner was fixed after the high seas played gigs and the community helped founded the money to repair the place. Chloe also added A garage next to the whale dinner. Max sees Alyssa again, Alyssa volunteers at the whale dinner. Chloe gives A tour of hers and Maxs apartment where Max signs her name on the door. Lawrence and Tristan are dating. Max and Chloe meet Victoria at her gallery. Max agrees to take the space for her pictures but doesn't want credit given to her. Max and Chole go though A box of photos, they find one address to Max its A picture of Max, Rachel and Chloe from the other timeline and it makes Chole happy to see it. They All gather together to hold A vigil to remember those who where lost.
When the storm enters, Max manged to get back to her Chloe. Chloe gives Max A tour of Arcadia Bay Chloe tells Max how the whale dinner was fixed after the high seas played gigs and the community helped founded the money to repair the place. Chloe also added A garage next to the whale dinner. Max sees Alyssa again, Alyssa volunteers at the whale dinner. Chloe gives A tour of hers and Maxs apartment where Max signs her name on the door. Lawrence and Tristan are dating. Max and Chloe meet Victoria at her gallery. Max agrees to take the space for her pictures but doesn't want credit given to her. Max and Chole go though A box of photos, they find one address to Max its A picture of Max, Rachel and Chloe from the other timeline and it makes Chole happy to see it. They All gather together to hold A vigil to remember those who where lost.
March 12, 2022
Emocionante y alegre de un final que Max y Chloe merecen.
Historia fácil, tranquila y sin muchos altibajos, pero justo lo necesario.
Historia fácil, tranquila y sin muchos altibajos, pero justo lo necesario.
April 29, 2024
this felt like closure
June 9, 2022
so sad to see this series go but also it ended perfectly and i’m so happy it was made. was a perfect addition to the story of the games and was great on its own. i loved the evolution of max’s powers sm. i love pixie and tristan. it was great to see the characters get more interactions with rachel (and just getting more of her in general.) also victoria chase redemption arc!!
brody and steph were great cameos but i would’ve loved to see kate (!!!) or sean and daniel 😞 (i’m happy lis2 got recognition with brody tho)
the ending was so satisfying and it was nice to have a happy lis ending for once! made me very emotional
thank you for reading this long grace copps-esque review *break dances*
brody and steph were great cameos but i would’ve loved to see kate (!!!) or sean and daniel 😞 (i’m happy lis2 got recognition with brody tho)
the ending was so satisfying and it was nice to have a happy lis ending for once! made me very emotional
thank you for reading this long grace copps-esque review *break dances*
December 24, 2024
Me gustaron mucho todos los comics. Cuentan una secuela muy buena del futuro en el que sobrevive chloe. La historia está muy bien estructurada respetando los personajes y las acciones que toman durante la historia. Aparecen personajes de todo el universo Life is strange que no me esperaba que salieran, pero no están metidos con calzador. Aparecen nuevos personajes que aportan bastante a la historia y que son entretenidos. Aparecen personajes de la historia principal mostrando como les ha afectado todo lo que pasó en Arcadia Bay, como lo están llevando y a qué se dedican para poder superar la tormenta. Hay varios what if que todo fan se ha preguntado y es agradable de ver. Quizá el conflicto principal se alarga bastante más de lo que yo esperaba y se podría haber metido algo más de otras realidades. Me hubiese gustado que hubieran aparecido más personajes como Warren o Kate que son muy queridos e importantes para Max y me parece poco realista que ni se pregunten donde están. También se refleja muy bien en el personaje de Chloe el paralelismo de sufrir la tormenta o no, viéndose el mismo personaje pero claramente más traumatizado por la perdida de su madre y su ciudad. Poco se habla también de David que en el segundo juego se confirma que siguen manteniendo en contacto. Si eres fan de la saga lo recomiendo muchísimo y es mucha mejor alternativa al nuevo juego de Life is Strange Double Exposure.
December 6, 2022
I'm crying. That's all I can say.
January 12, 2023
Buona conclusione per una serie davvero carina che risponde a qualche domanda post gioco.
January 6, 2025
Fuck double exposure this is the true life is strange ending
December 30, 2025
multiversal schizophrenia is over my friend. but the journey however, is not. and the journey will always be filled with memories.
February 3, 2026
➸ 3.5 stars
Short and sweet.
Short and sweet.
February 26, 2026
Pleaseeee can the reunion also give Max and Chloe a happy ending, I beg 😭😭😭
June 14, 2022
A fitting conclusion…now they just need to make a GN series about Life is Strange: True Colors because that little teaser at the end was really well done.
September 24, 2024
Estos comics no han sido exactamente lo que esperaba leer después de jugar el juego, pero no me importa porque este volumen ha sido perfecto porque solo han sido momentos de Chloe y Max siendo felices y adorables y después de tanto tiempo esperando que se reencontraran esto era lo que todos nos merecíamos :))
Read
August 27, 2025loved the ending!! not sure how I feel about the retcon of Max’s powers though…
at the end of the day, this isn’t canon so it’s fine as what it is 🤷
at the end of the day, this isn’t canon so it’s fine as what it is 🤷
May 28, 2024
I was excited for this series, but it was a disappointment. The plot was extremely drawn out and the character development and dialogue left a lot to be desired.
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