The Last of Us: American Dreams #2 Review

There are several qualities any video game tie-in comic needs to succeed, few of which are apparent in any given project. One quality that is so often overlooked is the need for a tie-in to exist and thrive on its own merits. If it's the sort of story that could be read and enjoyed even if the video game itself didn't exist, then the tie-in is a success. This is a quality The Last of Us: American Dreams personifies more than any other video game tie-in I've read. I have no idea when or if I'll play the video game. But regardless, I'm enjoying the heck out of American Dreams.

Picking up where issue #1 left off two long months ago, American Dreams #2 sees Ellie accompany her new friend Riley on a little hooky excursion to the mall. Not that hanging out at the mall has exactly the same appeal in a world where fungal zombies roam and the military maintains an iron grip over the remainder of humanity. But that's largely the focus of the issue. Co-writers Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks spend a lot of time illustrating the gulf between our world and the terrible nightmares these two girls live in.

It's not melodramatic, and at times the writing is even surprisingly humorous. It all serves to flesh out this world and the challenges inherent to growing up in it. Both characters are likable and develop a fun bond despite only having recently crossed paths. That bond is already strong enough that readers will be hard-pressed not to fear for Riley. Unlike Ellie, her survival in this story is not guaranteed.

Hicks' artwork is a major reason why this book works as well as it does. So many video game-based comics make the mistake of trying to adapt the in-game 3D graphics into a 2D art style. But Hicks is clearly having none of that. Her style carries an indie comic book flair to it, resembling the Scott Pilgrim art style far more than anything in The Last of Us game. And though you'd think Scott Pilgrim and post-apocalyptic zombie stories are a poor fit, it works.

Hicks' characters are expressive and full of emotion. She's able to convey a great deal of information through body language and facial work. Even the juxtaposition of muted colors with brighter hues in Ellie's daydreams go a long way to bringing this world to life.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com