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There’s a long, unfortunate history of comic books being translated into game form.  Superman 64, X-Men: Next Dimension and Spider-Man: Friend of Foe come to mind immediately.  The opposite side of this equation, comics based on games, is a much more recent phenomenon that has seen far more favorable results.  Many games feature storylines that are limited by the need to provide a fun game experience.  Comics allow for a more thorough exploration of these themes without the need to fit it into a playable format.  Here’s a rundown of some of the best-selling game-based comics.  



Halo Uprising

Penned by ran Michael Bendis, one of the comic industry’s most popular and prolific writers, Halo Uprising intersperses high octane Master Chief action with character based stories revolving around two citizens of Earth living through an intergalactic war.  Longtime collaborator and master storyteller Alex Maleev provides moody, stylized art that successfully balances action and drama. The story is more broad than it is deep, and it’s obvious that Bungie and Microsoft have put some limitations on what stories can be told, but the superb pencils and Bendis’ clever, witty dialog make for an engaging read.  Definitely worth checking out.

Grade – 8/10

City of Heroes

MMO’s may not seem like the best source material for serialized fiction, but City of Heroes’ well-developed cast of crimefighters and criminals make it a natural fit for comics. Sadly, the revolving team of writers and artists haven’t done enough to make this book worthwhile.  Sure, it’s nice to see enemies and landmarks from the game in the comic, but that can’t make up for consistently weak storytelling and mediocre visuals.  CoH’s stable of characters like the Statesman, Positron, Manticore and Reclusew ould be better served by a regular staff that planned to stick with the book for more than a few issues.  Wasted potential.

Grade - 7/10

World of Warcraft

The realm of Azeroth is as diverse as Ben Affleck’s list of girlfriends, so it’s baffling that the World of Warcraft comic has chosen to set its entire story so far in a single orc-infested forest.  Where’re the breathtaking ice covered peaks of the Alterac Mountains?  The vast, murky swamps of the Sundown Marsh?  The pastoral serenity of Furlbrow’s Pumpkin Patch?  Alright, maybe not the pumpkin patch, but you get the idea.  The legendary Walt Simonson has crafted a plot that is reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and it just doesn’t feel like a Warcraft story.  Ludo Lullabi’s pencils and Sandra Hope’s inks provide a nice distraction, but it’s simply not enough to recommend a purchase.

Grade –6/10

Sonic the Hedgehog

Believe it or not, Sonic the Hedgehog’s main comic series is at issue 182.  That’s a longer continuous run than Todd McFarlane’s Spawn has had.  The blue speedster’s success can be attributed to its simple, kid-friendly stories and consistently excellent Archie Comics artwork.  There’s nothing terribly deep or serious here, but that’s really for the best.  An angstful Hedgehog just doesn’t work.  There’s also a newer book, Sonic X, that expands on the Japanese anime of the same name.  It’s a little more grown up, and unlike the main Sonic series, it doesn’t take place in the established Archie Universe.  That means no Knuckles/Jughead crossovers, so why bother.

Grade -7/10

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