This is probably going to become one of the most talked about comics over the coming weeks due to the release of the epic finale of the Halo trilogy, Halo 3. This four-part series bridges the gap between Halo 2 and Halo 3, so there will be plenty of people interested in its content.There are many ways to look at this issue, but also many biases to avoid as well. This series is written and drawn by two of the best in the business with Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev respectably. The series also stars the Master Chief and the Halo brand name, which is the most successful videogame franchise since the turn of the new millenium. So, Great characters, Great Writer, Great Artist...Great Comic?
This comic follows three storylines. One with the Chief doing what he does best, by which I mean blowing up everything he sees and infiltrating a covenant ship. Another storyline is Colonal Ackerson (actually it doesn't say he's Colonal but the name is familiar from the novels) being tortured by the Covenant for information. And the final storyline, which happens to be the largest one in this issue, follows a Cleveland native named Ruwan. Ruwan is a hotel concierage who is sitting calmy thinking to himself when the Covenant first attack Earth. Covenant are searching for a Key, and Ackerson was the one who told them it was in Cleveland. By the end of the comic, we find out Ruwan is one of the only humans who actually knows what and where the Key is.
If there is a knock on this comic, it's that the Master Chief actually takes a backseat in the storyline. He only appears in 6 pages. Most, almost all, consist of him shooting covenant and not a lot else. Although, this comic IS based off a first-person shooter, so it's not surprising to see. But if this comic is trying to win over new readers from the videogame world, it's certainly not trying to do it by cashing in on the Chiefs already massive popularity.
The art is fantastic however. The real question to this series was going to be how Maleev altered his noir-style art to more action oriented. Seeing his transition from the dark, gritty Daredevil stories he used to draw to the Master Chiefs gun fights is truly astounding. There's even one frame where Maleev drew it just like it was the game, First persion view and all, and you could see the two pistols firing into the fray. Seeing the artist pay that kind of respect to the game is a delight when you're a fanboy of it.
This is a great comic, and although nothings for certain, the series will no doubt be a very good one. It's just a shame Bendis is going to have to work within the confines of the Halo Universe and stick to the storyline Microsoft probably already has layed out for him. (Obviously the series has to end a certain way or the beginning of Halo 3 won't make sense) Bendis is at his best when he can throw in surprises and mysterious cliffhangers, something that will be incredibly hard to do with this series.
