Swordquest #1

by Jason Laframboise on June 27, 2017

Written by: Chad Bowers and Chris Simms
Art by: Ghostwriter X
Published by Dynamite Entertainment


Before I start, I must mention that there is a zero issue, but I missed that one, so I am going by what was written in this book. In this  issue we are introduced to Peter an old Atari fan, who is terminally ill and has one goal he wants to complete before he passes on, get the Swordquest Sword! Luckily for him o attain what he  wants he attempts to enlist his childhood friend Amy who has just written a book about Atari and has connections in the video game industry and can potentially get him close to the Sword. Peter also had  seemingly unwanted feelings for Amy's brother Alvin. There is also someone else who is trying to get Peter to the sword, as we are introduced to a mysterious bike riding dude. We don't get his name as far as I have read, so Biker Dude it is for now. 

So the art is done by Ghost Writer X. I wonder who that really is.  The style looks a lot like David Aja's Hawkeye/Iron Fist work. Although I'm not generally  a huge fan of the style personally, it works in the context of these types of stories. I love the old school Atari style lettering used in places in the book. And man that cover is awesome.
The story was pretty well written. It explains the whole Swordquest contest aspect, an important part of the story, quickly and effectively. I love the idea of the main part of the story with dying Peter wanting to steal the Sword, it's unique and fun idea that I really like. The mysterious biker dude? Well I will need to wait and see how that turns out. Peter the main character is well formed right out of the gate which is good because I would hate for that to drag out. The early comic from the 80s that came with the original game had secrets hidden in the panels that would lead you to completing the game, and i think something similar is happening here, because a couple of panels are focused on weirdly. 

When the Dynamite Atari deal was announced, I was wondering how the properties would be translated to comics. The old Atari games aren't exactly full of major plot points, or characters for that matter. This was just a fun way to do it, using the property and a really interesting part of video game history. I thoroughly enjoyed it. With some great retro systems coming out over the next few months, Atari is actually making a weird comeback right now so this book is coming out at the right time. A fun read and I can't wait for the next issue.

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside