Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Review, Titan | Tagged: horizon zero, horizon zero dawn comics, horizon: Zero Dawn, titan, Titan comics

Horizon Zero Dawn #2 Review: A Showcase of Beautiful Artwork

Horizon Zero Dawn #2 continues the story of Talanah after the events of the game in this series from Titan Comics, written by Anne Toole, drawn by Ann Maulina, colored by Bryan Valenza, and lettered by Jim Campbell.

Anne Toole's script is light on story in Horizon Zero Dawn #2, starting with a quick flashback for an obligatory Aloy scene before transitioning to the main storyline: Talanah's hunt. There's not much character development for either Talanah or her mysterious "man of the woods" companion, and the action sequences are big and open, taking up many of the issue's pages. Toole leaves the artist to tell most of the story, which certainly works for the action, but as the series goes on, even established characters like these will need moments of depth or nuance for the reader to invest. There's not much of that here. The linework from Maulina and Valenza continues to impress in Horizon Zero Dawn #2, though, driving the story forward with captivating action. Jim Campbell's letterers are top-notch as in every title he's on, with perfect dialogue balloon placement and effects on screaming and shouting that adds punch without feeling showy.

Horizon Zero Dawn #2 is a good comic, but the one thing that stands out most about this series overall is the covers. Any fans of the video game or even just comic book art, in general, would want to collect these issues for the beautiful cover art. Each variant seems more beautiful than the next, with Cover A featuring a piece that looks like a video game cover by Junggeun Yoon. Then, actual artwork from the game is used for a stunning wraparound Cover B. Loish delivers the best cover of this specific issue with Cover C, which features Talanah front and center with warm, vibrant covers with Aloy superimposed behind her in cool blues. Then, two industry giants provide variants, with Artgerm delivering a realistic black and white version of the first issue's cover for Cover D, and Peach Momoko showcasing Horizon Zero Dawn's two leads in her trademark painterly style. It's a stunning presentation of artwork that will surely bait collectors and art fans alike. It's rare that a cover could boost the overall grade of a book, but this collection of artwork is worthy of its own Horizon Zero Dawn art book, and is far and away from the best aspect of this good, but far from compelling, comic.

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