The mighty king Ustrad of Uthrel linked the flame, after his servant Herad failed and was consumed by the fire, reduced to ashes. Now, the time has come to link the fire again, but Ustrad now refuses to do his duty to his kingdom. Herad, resurrected as un kindled, returns to unite three mighty warriors to venture into the Willow King’s domain, and do what needs to be done. Dark Souls: The Willow King #1 kicks off a new fantasy adventure, one dark and full of death.

My knowledge of and experience with Dark Souls is pretty minimal. I know it’s a popular video game series, one with some difficulty to it. Beyond being a fantasy adventure, I know little of the story of the world. And due to that, I was pretty excited to get to do an early review of Dark Souls: The Willow King #1. Despite years of history, I was able to come to this debut issue of the latest comic series with a fresh perspective. And… I’ve been missing some quality entertainment if this is any indication.

Written by George Mann, Dark Souls: The Willow King #1 is a solid opening chapter delivering everything new readers need to know. The world and story is explained along with the key characters. In short, a band of warriors has to come together to light a torch. But, the world is pretty much destroyed. Think of it as an apocalyptic story in a fantasy setting.

Mann really focuses on the quest and the characters. Each gets the spotlight, and a solid one, explaining who they are, they’re general demeaner and the quirks and baggage that come with them. And in just a few pages for each, Mann is able to not only get readers caught up but also make some of the characters rather tragic. To pack so much, and elicit an emotional response in so few pages, is really impressive.

The art by Maan House is beautiful. The comic is dark, like its title suggests, but unlike some other “dark” comics everything is easy to view and appreciate. The monsters are frightening and the characters each have a unique look that show off their personality. But, the most important aspect for the first issue is the world. House makes it clear this is a run down, crumbling, land. The buildings look worn and corrupted. The comic as a whole has an air of taint. The art perfectly captures the setting and feel of the world. Even better, there’s an emptiness about it all, leaving the readers to guess what lurks around each corner.

Though it’s been over a decade since the first release of a Dark Souls video game, Dark Souls: The Willow King #1 is a debut that’s easy to dive into for old fans and new readers. It packs a lot into the issue acting as a primer as to where things stand and setting the story up for the adventure to come. At the same time, it presents a moody world full of danger.

Story: George Mann Art: Maan House
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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