Metal Gear Solid: The Comic

[Izayoi]

Picked issue 1 of this up today and its impressive. Its not exactly Shinkawa, but Ashley Wood has done an excellent job of retaining the look and feel of 'The Twin Snakes' chapter. Sticks close to the original script too. It uses screenshots that have been worked over with paints and inks to give it a grainy, edgy look. Those that have played TTS should recognise the camera angles and such. The only real **** bits are the typography for speech bubbles and some bad wording (Snake just wouldn't say "target...neutralised"). It is published by IDW for those who want to know.

Despite the bad points, the graphics are fantastic and I urge any fan of MGS or those who like 'dirty graphics' to buy a copy.

[Meng De]

Good impressions there, although is the plot just exactly that of Metal Gear Solid, or does it add anything storywise? There is a feature on the comic here with some sample art, and a quick interview with the creators. Personally, I think it would be good if they could get a few stories that expanded on the MGS Universe (with Kojima's blessing of course) perhaps focusing on foxhound pre MGS1? Never going to happen though.

[EvilBoris]

I was suprised by how much it looks like the game. did they really go over the screenshots? I don't know how they plan on putting the whole plot of the game into 8 issues, especially as nothing happens in #1

[Izayoi]

I was suprised by how much it looks like the game. did they really go over the screenshots?

If you've played Twin Snakes, you should recognise the camera angles and cutscenes. Even frames not using screenshots refer to how the game looks anyway. A prime example is the frame showing the west storeroom on the heliport.

It seems to be following the original story, but at a faster pace. Hopefully they'll give the comic book treatment to the other two chapters in the trilogy also.

The typography needs to be sorted out sharpish mind, really amateurish compared to the art.

[anephric]

I was suprised by how much it looks like the game. did they really go over the screenshots?

In the animation world this is called rotoscoping and is considered the apex of lazy cheating (a la Ralph Bakshi and Lord of the Rings).

[HaHaUK]

where do you get them from?

[EvilBoris]

I ordered mine from the local comic shop, for the princely sum of ?2.61

[HaHaUK]

and can you subscribe to it?

[Magnakai]

Wow, the artwork's beautiful.
It's definitely to keep my eye out for.

[Izayoi]

The art is done by the same fella who did the Sam and Twitch comics (Sam and Twitch of Spawn fame). Some of it is pretty wacky, but stays faithful to the source material. The typography is still utter wank though, needs to be sorted out sharpish.

[tokyochojin]

looks great although i think i would have preferred original artwork tbh..

[Sketcz]

Is this in the UK then?
May have to treck down to WH Smith if so.
More details on picking this up please.

[Izayoi]

Bought mine from the local Forbidden Planet, so yeah it is out in the UK.

[Sketcz]

seen it in a local FP too.
Artwork is a bit pants, most of it looks like really blurry oil paintings that theyve brushed with a broom ala Francis Bacon. SHould have kept it monochrome ink all the way.

[Izayoi]

On a related note, my local FP just received an order of The Art of Metal Gear Solid 1.5. Theres some Shinkawa comic strip stuff in there if anyone would like to know what a proper MGS style comic would look like*.



*****ing MINT!