Wake up in a strange place. Immediately get attacked by horrific monsters. Quickly realize that you’ve somehow gotten caught up in a world-changing series of events that you barely understand. This is Dark Souls.
Published by Yen Press, Dark Souls: Redemption begins an original story set within the familiar world of the Dark Souls games created by FromSoftware. At story’s open, a lit flame serves as an omen of things to come. A woman wakes amidst the dead with no memory of who she is or where she came from. In a world that quickly proves hostile, she encounters a secretive protector who is sworn to her defense but refuses to reveal the secrets of her past. And these are secrets that will prove to be important as humans and monsters alike begin to converge, all seeking the woman for whatever forgotten role she plays in this wider world.
French writer Julien Blondel provides the story, immediately showcasing the aesthetic and narrative ambiguity that defines Dark Souls. There is death and magic and angry monstrosities. The reader—alongside our nameless lead character—is dropped into a world with little initial explanation other than clues that emerge as new pieces of the world come into focus. However, one challenge of translating Dark Souls into written form is that narrative ultimately begins to move into the forefront. Though plenty of mysteries remain, Blondel delivers an unfolding story of a woman who has forgotten how important she is to the world and competing factions that either wish to see her return to power or see her destroyed forever. Even with this heavier focus on narrative, this first volume leaves a lot unanswered as sudden revelations and escalating threats push the characters from one conflict to the next. The individual moments are easy enough to follow, but readers who like their answers quickly may be frustrated by the need to wait for further volumes before all of this begins coming together.
Blondel’s story is given life in the detailed black and white illustrations of Shonen. A core aspect of Dark Souls is the large and intricate world, and the art quickly gives age, grime, scale, and history to this dangerous world. A significant portion of the storytelling unfolds through the visuals and action sequences, and Shonen clearly holds value for the aesthetic of the original games. Though a bit of clarity gets lost in the pacing and action at moments, it is largely a pleasure to see new pieces of this world unfold across the pages alongside misshapen abominations and dark heroes locked in ongoing conflict.
The series is rated for Older Teens, offering rough but often bloodless violence, monstrous imagery, and non-sexual partial nudity on the part of the main character. Nothing in the content should be surprising to those who are already fans and teens on the older end of the spectrum should have no issue picking up the series. Overall, this first volume should appeal to established fans but, at least without subsequent volumes to carry the story deeper, may not prove the strongest entry point for those without some familiarity with the games. It’s clearly made with deep affection for the source material, but I’d need to see more before making a final decision on the strength of the storytelling here.
Dark Souls: Redemption Vol. 01: Humanity Lost
By Julien Blondel
Art by Shonen
Yen Press, 2024
ISBN: 9798855405712
Related media:Â Game to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation:Â French,
