Dark Souls #1 is the first issue in a new series by Titan Comics. It is a tie-in to the successful Dark Souls video game franchise. The storyline in this book is not a continuation of the video game storyline. It takes place in the Dark Souls universe with original characters. I’m drawn to Dark Souls #1 because it deals with one of my favorite genres: medieval fantasy. In this story the Lady Knight Fira goes on a quest to locate the tooth of the dragon Andolus which will restore her shattered memory and help her battle her enemies somehow. The book doesn’t really explain what exactly the tooth will do.

Fira has all the qualities of a strong female warrior. She’s powerful and fearless. I think it’s a little harder to connect with her because of the way her background is illustrated in the story. She’s a character with amnesia and the glimpses we get of her past don’t really tell us much. This would make sense if she was a character introduced in the game series but she was created for this comic so there’s nowhere to reference her origin. Of course I root for the warrior going against the bad guy even when I’m not sure why. Fira is accompanied by Aldrich, a passive Scryer with whom she shares a lot of pointless banter. I’m all for dialogue when it explores character but a book like this screams for more action.

Contrary to the title the artwork here is quite bright and lively. Everything has a crystal texture and helps showcase the mystical setting.

Overall I’m not sure what to make of this book. It sets up a character that I want to know more about but in this issue I felt like she simply wasn’t challenged enough. The obstacles she goes against are pretty simple and easily defeated. As a whole issue Dark Souls #1 was kind of a medium letdown. It’s still enjoyable to the average reader even if you haven’t played the videogames. My only expectation is that the series will stay true to the genre and because of a lack of more exciting battles it falls short.

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Dark Souls #1 Writer: George Mann Artist: Alan Quah Publisher: Titan Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 4/20/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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