THE EVIL WITHIN #1 Review

Are you excited for the release of The Evil Within? Will this comic tie-in be worth the purchase? Read on to find out.

The official description from Titan:

Spun from the new survival horror game The Evil Within™ from Bethesda Softworks this all-new prequel invites readers to experience the deranged world created by Shinji Mikami. Writer Ian Edginton (Scarlet Traces, Victorian Undead) and artist Alex Sanchez (Katana) present the story of a young student, Dana, whose search for a missing friend leads straight into a world fraught with tension and unimaginable horrors.

Tango Gameworks’ The Evil Within launches in both America and Europe today, and what better way to embrace yourself in this new survival horror video game than by buying the comic spin-off. That’s exactly the message that Titan will be putting across to eager gamers, and having read this issue I’m inclined to support this. Though it is a little vague, leaving a lot of mystery, it has some wonderful horror elements, teasing the potential of this video game brilliantly.

Ian Edginton does a fantastic job of setting the premise for this tale, with the Hinterkind writer capturing the weird presence that the video game has promised to display. Displaying a flair for horror straight from the get go, Edginton manages to build suspense in such a way that the events of this issue almost fly by. He also introduces The Keeper, an enemy that’ll feature in the game, presenting a chilling vibe around the character. Despite this there are moments of confusion, and if you forget the horror flair it’s hard to tell where the story is heading.

Alex Sanchez handles the artwork on this series, with the Elektra and Katana artist bringing a detailed style that more than suits this tale of horror. Giving a very chilling vibe, Sanchez manages to show the sheer grimness of this world, whilst at the same time setting a dramatic tone. He also produces some marvellous character expressions, with the emotion allowing for some very intense and suspenseful moments. Joining Sanchez we also get dark, yet punchy colours from Hi-Fi, with his palette choice giving the kind of gritty overtone that a story the likes of The Evil Within deserves.

The Evil Within #1 proves to be one of the more successful video game tie-in comics, as though story wise it has a lot to work on, the horror aspect alone makes it a must read for anyone considering buying the game. It also allows more speculative gamers the chance to see what the game might produce. Highly recommended.