Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone #1

Review by Paul Fiander

Writer; Mikey Neumann 
Art and Colurs; Agustin Padilla

Borderlands is famous for three things (in my eyes) great visuals, great writing and loot lots of loot. Now one of these a comic cannot give you but the other two are fair game. Enter writer Mikey Neumann and artist Agustin Padilla to try to give this comic the grounding in visuals and narrative that fans of the games series are so used to. Neumann is an inspired choice as he not only wrote the hit comic Borderlands: Origins but also the original game writer. Linked to this we have Padilla who was the artist on Borderlands: Origins, so in essence this comic is getting the band back together. The question is can they deliver again?

In terms of visuals I was initially disappointed the cell shading that is so distinctive in the game is replaced by a more filled in visual approach. It actually makes the comic look better but it also feels like it loses something. I think those who are new to the franchise will not be disappointed but for people like me (Borderlands Nuts) it can be a jolt. After reading a few pages though you get into the story and the visuals are not as grating. The colours seem for the most part seem to be bright where needed except the compartments for the guns which in the game are bright greens (corrosive) and blues (electrical) as well as other colours. There are a few muted colours on the weapons but nothing quite a vivid as I would like.

The story sees our original 4 vault hunters, Roland, Brick, Mordecai (complete with Bloodwing) and Lilith arriving at Fyrestone and find the town in less than an idyllic situation. As you would expect from a story based around the ideas of the Wild West we get to meet bandits in this hostile environment but horses and six shooters have been replaced by trucks and heavy duty weaponry. However the conflicts are a small part of the story what really makes the story is the humour and here is where we get the true essence of the game flooding to the fore. It’s subtle to begin with but from C4LPTR4P’s desperate need for a friend to Lilith’s self doubt and Brick mumblings the voice of the central players is there for all to see.

Despite what may come across as a negative review I actually can easily recommend Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone. It may take a little getting used to but it has the necessary voice to give fans a new slice of Pandorian history.

Issue Rating; 4/5

The Comic is available in both print and digital from IDW. Follow this link for more details.

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