Why Videogame Comics Suck - IGN (original) (raw)

As a gamer no doubt you've stumbled across many a comic book featuring your favorite videogame franchises. From Gears of War to Metal Gear Solid to World of Warcraft to Mass Effect, publishers across the comic book industry are tracking down the biggest gaming licenses, adapting game storylines or bridging the gap between releases. But there's one major, major problem we here at IGN have learned over the years of covering these products – these comic books suck.
Before some of you, including you stealthy PR people, write us hate mail, know that we don't mean all of the videogame comic books we read are bad. There are several key success stories out there, and we intend to highlight them in the coming sections. But let's face it – the poor material out there greatly outweighs the stuff we enjoy. There are a number of reasons for that, ranging from the problems that plague anything based on a license to some issues that many other comic books suffer. But put them all together and you have a situation that makes any gamer wary of a new comic book series, and rightly so. Read on for our thoughts on why these books are so terrible, and if we're lucky the people responsible for them will listen up. Think about it – how often do you see big names attached to videogame comic books? How often do you see names on the cover and think, "That's a perfect fit." Or, at the very least, how often do you realize you've just discovered a stellar creative pairing by the end of the first issue? From our experience, the answer to all of these questions is "not often enough."

It seems like many publishers see gaming licenses just as any other license – they're simply an attempt to reach an audience that isn't normally buying books. A writer and an artist are quickly brought on board with an idea that passes some sort of "okay to publish" litmus test and the machine rolls on from there. But quite frankly if we at the IGN offices can sniff out a rush job, then two things will inevitably follow: the fans will sense that too and the product will suffer.

We get that creators don't accept jobs with ill will or the intent of screwing something up. No doubt many of these men and women know something about the games or franchises, and no doubt they put a good deal of planning into their works. But there's a difference between knowing a franchise and understanding it, and there's a difference between attempting to carbon copy a game's key features and actually exploring and developing a game's world and legacy. We'll mention this later, but the smart creators understand what makes people love a particular game, and are able to tap into that essence when bringing it to this new medium. Those are the projects that work, that not only feature characters we know but bring us stellar stories featuring them.

Sometimes the hardest part about developing a videogame sequel isn't finding ways to improve the gameplay or spruce up the graphics, but determining how to expand the storyline in a logical way. The same problem applies to comics as well. There are games whose storylines are comprehensive and insular to the point where spinoffs become difficult.

Many comics attempt to bridge the gaps between one game and its sequel, showcasing a sort of "lost adventure" that fits in between the cracks. This is the case with Wildstorm's Gears of War series and IDW's Army of Two. Others, like Wildstorm's God of War, attempt to delve far into the past to explore a hero's early years. It's all too rare that these types of stories function well or manage to add much to the franchise mythology. Certainly, little is gained by making a point of reading Gears of War in between the first and second games.

The best videogame comics invariably seem to be the ones which have the most room to explore and grow. Often, these books don't even focus on the stars of the game, instead following characters in conflicts that play minor roles in the game or have been created specifically for the comic. For instance, Dark Horse's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series shares little with the Bioware games. The comic is set several years before the first KOTOR. Major characters like Darths Revan and Malak appear only briefly. The KOTOR name served merely as a springboard for writer John Jackson Miller to explore original characters and concepts. It appears as if Dark Horse will be taking a similar approach with its upcoming Old Republic comic.

Marvel's Halo comics follow a similar path. Series mainstay Master Chief only has a significant role in one of the publishers three comics, and even then his presence is kept to a minimum. In Master Chief's place are new heroes who carry on the fight against the Covenant. IDW's Silent Hill comics are at a distinct advantage in this area. Because of the shifty nature of the haunted town of Silent Hill, writers have free reign to tell stories without worrying about conflicting with the events of the games.

If a game is focused entirely on one hero killing hordes of aliens or zombies, that game might not have what it takes to thrive in the comics medium. Luckily, there are plenty of games that do have what it takes.

Do you know why Dark Horse's Mass Effect comic book was quite effective despite being tucked into a corner of the ME universe between games? Two words: Mac Walters. You might know him as the lead writer of Bioware's Mass Effect games. While it would have been easy to develop a product completely irrelevant to the larger galactic conflict, Walters' role in the Redemption storyline helps give the series some credibility. You know it's being considered a part of the canon because Walters is the man responsible for it. If he can't make a storyline weave into the greater role of the game, who can?

It's difficult to point at any videogame comic book and say the creators aren't involved at all. Every single press release we've read states that X or Y company is overseeing the comic book's creative team. So let's assume they have some role to play. The problem here then is two-fold – 1) the game developers aren't paying enough attention and 2) they have no consideration for the comic book medium and what it will take to truly craft a memorable, substantive release.

You'll see a lot of our "bullet points" weaving in and out of each other, but far too many comic books have no important story to tell or no important characters to manage. (Though, to be clear, it's perfectly possible to tell great stories featuring new characters, as many gaming comics have proven.) As solid as the Mass Effect comic book was, the fact that it didn't directly involve Shepard or the larger ME narrative did hurt its importance to some degree. If we've played Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, does a story sitting between them, that isn't finished by the time we fired up the second game, really that important? It's hard to make the argument that it is. And we can point to plenty of other game-based comics that suffer a similar fate. Modern Warfare 2 features Ghost, a dude that looks cool but is barely worth mentioning. He has all of three lines and is summarily swept off the board with relatively little fanfare. Knowing that, why the hell would we want a comic book about him? (We don't, just in case there's any confusion.)

Comic books are expensive and their incremental release schedules make them a tough commitment to handle. Game developers need to understand that and give readers something interesting to invest in. Oh, and monitoring art and writing to make sure comic book publishers are producing something worth paper and ink would be good too. More on that in other sections.

Whether games are being adapted into would-be Hollywood blockbusters or making the jump to comics, the adapters frequently make the mistake of choosing brand recognition and name value over all else. Granted, this does make financial sense. Why waste your time and energy on a B-list game franchise when the God of Wars and Modern Warfares of the gaming industry are ready and waiting to generate piles of cash?

The problem is that these games don't always provide fodder for worthwhile comic book spinoffs. Take Modern Warfare 2, for instance. Few would argue that the Call of Duty games offer complex storylines or deep characterization. The games are focused on gigantic action set-pieces. Any good videogame comic needs to be able to offer a compelling story to make up for the loss of interactivity. Too many of these books simply fail to engage the reader.

Both God of War and Modern Warfare 2 are games that emphasize action over plot. This works well when the gamer holds the controller and is able to mow down enemies by the hundreds. That same fun doesn't translate well when the gamer is asked to passively read about Kratos dismembering gods. Plenty of gamers know how annoying it is to watch over the shoulders of their friends instead of playing a game themselves. Too often, that's exactly what videogame comics ask of their readers.

Game properties should be selected based on their storytelling potential rather than mere story potential. To reiterate an earlier point, the franchise in question needs to have a rich mythology worth exploring. There needs to be less of an emphasis on action because, frankly, action rarely conveys itself as well on a printed page as it does in full, interactive glory on a TV screen. Instead of repeatedly adapting first-person shooters and fighting games, why can't publishers focus on more cerebral franchises? Why isn't there a Chrono Trigger comic or a Shadow of the Colossus comic or a Monkey Island comic? These franchises might not be at the forefront of the industry at the moment, but they offer plenty more immediate and obvious storytelling potential.

There will always be exceptions to the rule. UDON's Street Fighter comics are often entertaining despite being based on a fighting game. Good creators can make the most of any concept. However, with the countless videogame franchises available there's no reason for them to struggle as much as they do.

Here we come to the flip side of the previous category. It rarely ends well when a videogame comic focuses all of its energy on replicating the action and violence of a videogame. But if the comic completely ignores the elements that make a game memorable and popular in the first place, it's really no better off.

This is one of our most common complaints with Wildstorm's Modern Warfare 2: Ghost comic. The book focuses on the past of Ghost, an NPC ally in the game. The plot involves Mexican drug cartels, psychological torture, father/son conflicts, and just about everything but soldiers blowing holes in the bad guys. Too often Modern Warfare 2: Ghost reads nothing like the game that inspired it. The same complaint applies to Wildstorm's Resident Evil book. Very little in the first issue evokes the tone or style of the games. Why then should RE fans feel compelled to continue any further? In either case, the book only serves as a videogame tie-in because the titles claim as much.

Comics can make the mistake of veering too far in the opposite direction as well. A slavish adaptation of the source material is rarely the best approach either. IDW's Metal Gear Solid comics are easily some of the most faithful videogame adaptations you'll find on the market. The problem is that everything from the games makes the cut. Conflicts in the comic involve Solid Snake hunting for key-cards to access new areas. Mundane fetch quests are often a necessity in games, but they should never become a part of the comics too.

Good videogame comics manage to strike a balance between capturing the fun and familiar trappings of a game while also exploring new avenues and stories. Look at it this way – Star Wars readers expect lightsabers and epic space battles in their comics. They don't need to see Luke Skywalker battling Darth Vader in each and every one of them.

In a lot of ways this covers the same territory as our discussion of proper creative teams. However, art in videogames deserves special mention because it tends to be such a common and peculiar problem. Comics are a visual medium, and too often videogame projects completely fail at providing visuals that tell a story and tell it well.

One common problem with videogame comics is that artists go out of their way to replicate the feel of 3D polygon graphics. Books like Dante's Inferno and Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward feature CG rendered characters as opposed to traditional hand-drawn figures. It's an interesting attempt to bridge media, but it's one that rarely works well. CG characters require incredible amounts of time and care before they can display the level of emotion as a good pencil drawing. These books don't offer that level of quality. If we want our Silent Hill comic to look like an early-era PS2 game, we'll just pop Silent Hill 2 back into our system.

Another annoyingly common trend is to exaggerate the visuals in videogame comics to almost abstract levels. Again, Dante's Inferno and Silent Hill: Sinner's Rewards are examples of this. Books like these abandon traditional panel borders, slather the page in hazy paint washes, and generally obscure the comic's ability to present a coherent story. At least in the case of Silent Hill, foggy landscapes and surreal visuals are par for the course. What excuse do books like God of War and Dante's Inferno have? Metal Gear Solid is another culprit. We appreciate the attempt of the comics to replicate Yoji Shinkawa's iconic watercolor character designs from Metal Gear Solid. However, as with all the other books mentioned, this emphasis on style over substance harms the book in the end.

Not all videogame comics take these dubious artistic approaches, but far too many are entirely underwhelming in the visual department. As always, the best videogame comics are the ones that deliver in this regard. Marvel's Halo comics are very presentable, particularly Halo: Uprising, which features Alex Maleev's artwork. A significant reason for the creative success of UDON's Street Fighter comics is that most do an excellent job of capturing the anime-inspired look of the games. Top Cow's long-running Tomb Raider series also deserves mention here. That series featured a variety of top artists during its run, including Adam Hughes, Billy Tan, and Michael Turner. If publishers want their videogame comics to truly succeed, they need to be willing to put some serious artistic muscle behind them.

The frequency of delays with comic books is a bit alarming. Not a month goes by where some high-profile release is pushed out of its intended month to a time unknown. Granted, this isn't something that's just the fault of game-based comics. In fact the biggest shipping problems come from major superhero events and other big name titles. But delays with gaming books are particularly maddening for two reasons. First, a delay almost guarantees the resolution of the print story will miss the intended release of the game. Since most comics tend to operate in some area prior to a game's release (ie between Gears of War 1 and Gears of War 2), having that book hit after the game is released almost invalidates the reason for its existence. Why would anyone want to read a short, almost-insignificant prequel to something after they already know how it's resolved?

Our other problem with gaming comics being delayed is the implication of said delays. These aren't products that have been serialized for forty years, that integrate with dozens of other titles into one massive web of continuity. These are singular titles based on games that are being planned and developed for years. And yet somehow these game-based books always feel rushed, from their timetable to their creative teams to their ultimate quality. Why isn't more thought being put into this? Why do the comics feel like afterthoughts versus a genuinely meaningful component of a franchise's lore? Do these developers and publishers not realize they're simply neglecting the same dedicated fans that turn out for the games, the same ones that spent hours on Twitter and message boards extolling the virtues of said titles? It's a little sad to think that the interest in doing these books right isn't there, which then in turn leads to sporadic and shoddy releases.

We know you guys don't find videogame comic books nearly as interesting as some of the other "genres" out there. We see it in the traffic the articles generate and the comments you leave behind. So we're curious – what do you think of game-based comics? Are there some you enjoy? Are there some you particularly hate? Why do you love or hate them? Rest assured that the people who make these books read these articles and replies, whether you realize it or not. Make a difference and chat away in our comments.