Unbound #1 (of 5): It Was Nice Working With You

Unbound #1 is a twisted take on the virtual reality gone wrong narrative that explores a dangerous world full of treachery, riches and horror creatures abound. While the story is strong enough, the real star here is the artwork!

Without knowing much about the premise of Unbound #1, I was ready to dive into it just because of the beautiful cover and interesting description that promised plenty of dark violence. Much to my enjoyment, there was nothing misleading about this. The visuals all throughout the first issue are a real delight, giving a retro-futuristic environment with a steampunk twist populated with horrors both human and otherwise. It’s truly stunning.

The story takes us through the paces of a video game without making it too obvious, which helps to pull you into the world of Ether. We follow the bounty hunter as he gets his quest, gears up and finds a party before taking on the big bad. Is it the most original? Maybe not, but it does enough to set it apart from the other types of stories you may have seen. The graphic horror sequences set against such a unique visual backdrop make for an issue that is hard to put down. While the characters are harder to root for, you get the sense that maybe you are supposed to question the motives of everyone involved.

What’s right and wrong isn’t exactly clear in Unbound #1, but the issue sets up an exciting premise that is backed up with some remarkable art. Leonardo Paciarotti on colors especially shines in the series so far, making the issue come to life with a color palette that works so well for the overall aesthetic. It’s just really enjoyable to look at.

Hopefully the story is able to find it’s groove early on and give us some characters we can really get behind, but one thing is for sure, the villain wastes no time in getting started. He’s a bloody mess that will most likely be a lot of fun to follow as the series continues. The danger he brings is much more real than most may realize, setting the stakes pretty high right off the bat.

Overall, Unbound #1 was just a lot of fun to read. The ending arguably didn’t stick as well as it could have, but it’s a minor complaint. The first issue did more than enough to pull me back in for the next entry in the series, so check it out!