Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans return to the hellish TTRPG world of Die in their new series Die Loaded #1. It’s definitely helpful to be familiar with the previous series, but in gaming parlance, this first issue is “new player friendly” and slowly unravels the lore and relationships from Die. Die Loaded is a dark fantasy/horror series, but it’s also grounded in authentic, real world relationships. The main focus for this launch issue is Ash, who is a female Dictator in the game world, but is a nonbinary person in the real world and dealing with becoming a father and good partner to their wife Sophie, who had a child while they were trapped in the game. Gillen writes the majority of the issue from their POV as they adapt to a “normal life” after a great crisis although that normal life happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. He and Hans use parenting as the initial throughline for the series, but things definitely get fantastical later on.

From page 1, Die Loaded felt like being reunited with an old friend who I thought I’d never see again: Dominic Ash. In previous articles, I’ve mentioned my connection to the character and their complex relationship with their gender identity and nostalgia in the fantasy genre. So, it’s cool to see them take on the unexpected role of “Daddy” and navigate an even more complicated relationship with their partner Sophie because they definitely don’t reveal 100% of what happened in Die to them. Kieron Gillen’s narrative captions for Ash are downright confessional and add an extra dimension to a seemingly mundane of a couple getting ready for a night out, which is Chuck’s (The Fool from Die and a wealthy fantasy author.) wake. I felt so seen when Ash mentioned putting their “gender bullshit” on hold to deal with other things in their life.

The social maze that Ash and Sophie must traverse is just as frightening as any fantasy quest, and Stephanie Hans’ use of shadow and color gives the function a sinister vibe as she and Gillen check in with various characters and their families/partners from the previous series. She makes the real world feel like a dissociative episode using more straightforward shots and layouts for friendly encounters and more askew one for conflicted ones. Hans’ palette in Die Loaded is muted compared to the majestic fantasy or Gothic horror of some sequences in Die. Her choice of color and lighting almost screams for normalcy. She and Kieron Gillen pace the wake scene like any massive social gathering where you have close relationships with some folks, dislike others, and are intrigued/overwhelmed by others.

Kicking off Die Loaded with a wake is an ingenious piece of storytelling from Gillen and Hans as the various old/new characters reacquainting themselves with each other mirrors readers coming back to a series that made an impact on them, but it’s been a few years. The focus on Ash and Sophie’s dynamic as partners and parents is a wonderfully mature hook for the series before it goes into Goth Jumanji chaos, and it gives a freshness to the sequel instead of going the Die Harder route. I feel both blessed and cursed (In an in-universe kind of way.) to return to this world.

Story: Kieron Gillen Art: Stephanie Hans Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans return to the hellish TTRPG world of Die in their new series Die Loaded #1. It’s definitely helpful to be familiar with the previous series, but in gaming parlance, this first issue is “new player friendly” and slowly unravels the lore and relationships from Die. Die Loaded is a dark fantasy/horror series, but it’s also grounded in authentic, real world relationships. The main focus for this launch issue is Ash, who is a female Dictator in the game world, but is a nonbinary person in the real world and dealing with becoming a father and good partner to their wife Sophie, who had a child while they were trapped in the game. Gillen writes the majority of the issue from their POV as they adapt to a “normal life” after a great crisis although that normal life happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. He and Hans use parenting as the initial throughline for the series, but things definitely get fantastical later on.

From page 1, Die Loaded felt like being reunited with an old friend who I thought I’d never see again: Dominic Ash. In previous articles, I’ve mentioned my connection to the character and their complex relationship with their gender identity and nostalgia in the fantasy genre. So, it’s cool to see them take on the unexpected role of “Daddy” and navigate an even more complicated relationship with their partner Sophie because they definitely don’t reveal 100% of what happened in Die to them. Kieron Gillen’s narrative captions for Ash are downright confessional and add an extra dimension to a seemingly mundane of a couple getting ready for a night out, which is Chuck’s (The Fool from Die and a wealthy fantasy author.) wake. I felt so seen when Ash mentioned putting their “gender bullshit” on hold to deal with other things in their life.

The social maze that Ash and Sophie must traverse is just as frightening as any fantasy quest, and Stephanie Hans’ use of shadow and color gives the function a sinister vibe as she and Gillen check in with various characters and their families/partners from the previous series. She makes the real world feel like a dissociative episode using more straightforward shots and layouts for friendly encounters and more askew one for conflicted ones. Hans’ palette in Die Loaded is muted compared to the majestic fantasy or Gothic horror of some sequences in Die. Her choice of color and lighting almost screams for normalcy. She and Kieron Gillen pace the wake scene like any massive social gathering where you have close relationships with some folks, dislike others, and are intrigued/overwhelmed by others.

Kicking off Die Loaded with a wake is an ingenious piece of storytelling from Gillen and Hans as the various old/new characters reacquainting themselves with each other mirrors readers coming back to a series that made an impact on them, but it’s been a few years. The focus on Ash and Sophie’s dynamic as partners and parents is a wonderfully mature hook for the series before it goes into Goth Jumanji chaos, and it gives a freshness to the sequel instead of going the Die Harder route. I feel both blessed and cursed (In an in-universe kind of way.) to return to this world.

Die Loaded #1 is on sale November 12, 2025.

Story: Kieron Gillen Art: Stephanie Hans Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Pre-Order: Kindle