Horizon Zero Dawn #3

Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #3

Titan Comics 2021

Written by Anne Toole

Illustrated by Elmer Damaso

Coloured by Brian Valneza

Lettered by Jim Campbell

Alloy and Erend fend off deadly machines as the pair hunt down an Oseram tribe member’s killer.

Not being a video game person these have been my only exposure to the franchise and I have to say that the world they’ve created is fascinating. There is something about the mixture of worlds that we see with these nomadic tribes type of folks fighting the robotic animals that creates this very unique feel. There really is something exciting about the ruins, the setting, the world you name it, it is a character in its own right and it really enhances how we see and experience the story. Also the dual storytelling that’s going on as Erend tells Alloy about the past while they are searching in the present is really strong storytelling. I like seeing the events that lead up to where they are now and give the story just that much more purpose to it. I’m also pretty impressed with the way that we see such a large cast of characters are being handled with distinct personalities, agendas and the whole kit and kaboodle. The overall quality of storytelling here is really rather quite magnificent.

I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a marvellous job on shining a spotlight on their ever changing personalities. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we are able to see who they were compared to who they are now.

I’m really rather enjoying the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. I also like how we see the layers open up new avenues to be explored as they add such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story. There are points in the past and present that seem connected but I can’t be sure yet so I’m waiting to see where things go as the story continues. The way that we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves it forward are impeccably handled.

I’m in love with this high animation style artwork that we see here. The attention to detail we see within the clothing and the backgrounds is simply stunning. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised throughout to create this level & quality of work is astounding. The way backgrounds are used to enhance and expand the moments are beautifully rendered and how we see them within the composition of the panels used to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the panels is handled exceptionally well. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a stellar understanding of how colour works.

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Whether you are a fan of the game or new to the franchise like I am, this is a phenomenal story and a great place to jump into the series with. This has some amazingly solid writing with some strong characterisation alongside these bloody brilliant interiors take this from a game to a franchise.