God of War #1 is loud. God of War #1 is hard. God of War #1 is lush and full of ashy muscles frequently flexed and toned by its stoic protagonist, Kratos.

Dark Horse produces a number of video game IPs, turning them into likeable comic books, and for the most part I consider them to be the best at it. Tomb Raider, Dragon Age, and Star Craft have great things to offer. I enjoy God of War in just the same way. The art approximates the look of the game. The writing approximates the tone of the original. Being that this is probably one of the best games of the year, I had high expectations for the comic and was not disappointed.

It’s hard to tell how these partnerships work, especially when dealing with franchises whose cannons matter, but Chris Roberson seems to have been given keys to the kingdom. The story begins before the latest PS4 game, so if you have not played the game, then this does not mean anything; however, if you HAVE played the game, then this means EVERYTHING. As a huge fan of the game, I truly did not expect to get bonus lore and content. What I expected was drawn version of the game’s plot. I am glad that it was the former.

To be the right artist for God of War is to be perfect at drawing man-muscle. There is currently, and will continue to be, a lot of round muscles in this book. Kratos is strong, and his enemies are stronger. This is a Norse setting, so there are a lot of men. Being that the title of the series includes “war,” there is also a lot of battling. Kratos fights, and when he fights, it’s glorious. Tony Parker captures all of the above with flying red and grey colors.

If you like the series, or Norse mythology, you should read this issue. I can already tell it is going to make a great companion piece for fans of the game and myth-likers everywhere.

Creative Team: Chris Roberson (writer), Tony Parker (art), Dan Jackson (colors)
Publisher: Dark Horse
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