Pixel to Panel: Uncharted

Pixel to Panel:
Video Game inspired Comics
by Darryll YTC Carter

Uncharted

Williamson and Sandoval don’t pull any punches on Nate’s latest adventure

Writer

Joshua Williamson

Pencils

Sergio Sandoval

Inks

Pol C Gas

Colors

Santi Casas

        Uncharted, is based on the elaborate and encompassing universe of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted video games. The plot is led by the lead protagonist of the series, Nathan Drake, decedent of pirate turned corsair, Sir Francis Drake. Uncharted is known for its witty humor, dungeon crawling treasure hunter plots and the Indiana Jones supernatural twists that always occur. The comic addition to the series doesn’t disappoint.

The usual suspects are present; Nate and Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan are at it again, hot on the trail of a World War II era Russian relic known as the Amber Room. They are hired by the Ludlows, an aristocratic sibling pair who are in search of the room to restore their family name. It isn’t long before Nate and Sully plan to steal the Amber Room from right under the Ludlows’ noses, but only after fulfilling the terms of their agreement. They’re thieves guys, but they’ve got honor. No worries right?

        Wrong. It isn’t long before the duo’s well laid coup becomes a ship run ashore. That’s when another character is introduced, rival treasure hunter, Chole Frazer. Chloe is another series protagonist that appears in the video games. In the comic this is the first meeting between Chloe and Nate and it’s interesting to watch how their history unfolds and even more interesting to see if she pulls a switcheroo herself.

        The plot was decent and Williamson did a great job of matching that Uncharted pace and tone that gamers are used to, while making it very approachable for those who are new to the series or just looking for a great read. He captures the characters’ personalities well; Nate and Sully are spot on. Chloe was fairly on point as well, with a few out of character mishaps that could simply be attributed to the time of the comic being earlier in her career, which in its own right is applaudable. My only problem with the story was the pace of the last issue. It is notably faster than the rest and I felt like I was being rushed. The other side of the coin is that; it was the climatic finish to this adventure. The pace did indeed match the action and led to a satisfying denouement.

        Writing aside, Sergio Sandoval does a great job replicating the characters. Facial reactions, gestures and overall design are spot on or damn close to what you would see on screen. With a few exceptions here and there, I was more than pleased with the art and the panel layout. Out of the three characters, Nate is the most consistent, Sully second and Chloe coming in third. But it’s nowhere near enough to take away from the book.

        Uncharted is a great read that captures the jubilant joy one gets from playing the game. It’s a standalone story with just enough cross referencing with the game to firmly insert the book in Nate’s world. It’s perfectly open for new comers who have never played the game to jump on and detached enough  so  gamers who don’t read comics won’t feel like they missed a piece to the puzzle. Though if you like the games, there’s no way you won’t enjoy this.

out of 5