The dark and mysterious depths of space have fascinated man
for centuries. Countless explorers and writers have spent swaths of their lives sitting and wondering what may lurk in the tiny cracks of space. In the case of Dead Space: Liberation, Electronic Arts newest Dead Space graphic novel, the answer is isolation and possible human extinction.
Liberation follows Sergeant John Carver as he tragically experiences the death of his family first hand after an attack from a space battle cruiser. Distraught over his wife’s death, Carver sets course to finish his wife’s research which may hold the key to saving the human race from the dreaded Necromorphs, but of course he’s not the only one after the research. The most common antagonists in the Dead Space universe, the Necromorphs are re-animated humans that become monstrous creatures and serve as a constant threat to destroy all human life. Besides a self contained story it also serves as a prequel to Dead Space 3, the newest entry in the keystone video game franchise set in the same universe.
Written by Ian Edginton, the story advances at a proper pace and lingers at times to engulf the reader in a blanket of shadowy dread. The dialogue is simple and sometimes sparse but succeeds in keeping the attention of the reader focused on the world. Many of the characters seem underdeveloped but the amount of story achieved in these pages doesn’t leave much time to waste. The story allows the haunting art to breathe and puts the look of this bleak future on center stage.
The bleak and shadowy images of Liberation are the books real stars. Besides some generic looking faces, artist Christopher Shy pens some stunningly great visuals. This is Shy’s second Dead Space title and he clearly knows what he’s doing. A few of the zoomed out panels are so well done they make you forget that the characters are facing imminent death, even if just for a moment. The style is hazy and some of the action shots take a little time to appreciate but the tone of the images couldn’t be more spot on.
Liberation excels in the creation of a story that includes space exploration of a vast universe but at the same time keeps its characters and thus the reader in the feeling of total isolation. The characters travel in this book, quite a bit, but it always feels like you are viewing the last remaining people left alive, even though you know it’s not true. Any fan of sci-fi or survival horror will find something to enjoy within these pages.
Dead Space: Liberation is published by Titan Publishing and retails for US $19.99.
Special note: If you really love Dead Space and Liberation isn’t enough to satiate you, two other Dead Space graphic novels have been reissued by Titan books and include brand new art galleries. Dead Space, written by Antony Johnston and artist Ben Templesmith retails for $17.99. Dead Space: Salvage written by Antony Johnson and artist Christopher Shy retails for $14.99.
-David Wells
