In a future where Earth has become a barren wasteland, Zynitec harnesses the unmatched energy of Kronium to assert its dominion across the stars. When Kai, a rising star Mediator in Zynitec’s army, gets an unexplained message from a mysterious entity, everything he thinks he believes is thrown into question-and leaves him to explore what it truly means to be human in a world where the boundaries of technology and identity blur. Arcbound #1 is packed with action, conspiracy and betrayal.

When I first heard about Arcbound, it was the fact Tom Hardy was involved. Back in the day, I’d bristle when a celebrity was involved in a comic. They rarely were good and very much a cash grab. Today, things have changed and that is very much not the case. While there are stinkers, many are solid and some are great reads.

With Arcbound, Hard is listed as “character development,” and the story is in the hands of Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri, two very capable writers. Arcbound #1 does a good job of introducing readers to the world but overall, it’s rather predictable.

There’s nothing bad about Arcbound #1, but its story is one we’ve seen so many times before. A soldier is sent to fight in battles to benefit their superiors/ruler. They commit horrible acts and become disillusioned before finding some conspiracy/the reason they’re fighting is a lie and then turn on their rulers. This comic does that and doesn’t change it up too much beyond some details and the setting. Still, it’s an interesting start.

Art is provided by Ryan Smallman. Arcbound #1 looks nice with color by Frank William and lettering by Buddy Beaudoin. The designs are cool and the battle is pretty brutal, Arcbound #1 visually is much like its story, entertaining but not groundbreaking. The battles deliver some blood and guts and the technology design feels like a spin on other sci-fi. Overall, it looks good but doesn’t jump out.

Arcbound #1 isn’t a bad start but it also doesn’t feel original enough to really stand out. It’ll be interesting to see where it goes in the second issue as there’s a few directions but overall, it’s a debut that feels a bit too derivative.

Story: Scott Snyder, Frank Tieri Character Development: Tom Hardy Art: Ryan Smallman
Color: Frank William Letterer: Buddy Beaudoin
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle