Comic of the Week: “DIE: Loaded” #1

Some weeks, it’s hard to pick just one comic for our Comic of the Week. This week was one of those weeks, yet among all the standout comics that hit the shelves, “DIE: Loaded” is a long-awaited sequel that absolutely deserves a spotlight.

The original “DIE” comic, which ran from 2018 to 2021, told the story of a group of adults who, when they were teenagers, were trapped in a role-playing game world, and then found themselves pulled back in as adults. The world of DIE isn’t a magical high fantasy world like your typical isekai series or the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, but a deadly realm made from a combination of classic stories and the characters’ own traumas, fears, desires, and unresolved issues.

It ran for 20 issues, telling a complete story filled with intense character drama, high stakes, literary references, and an exploration of the very nature of games, storytelling, identity, and escapism. In other words, it was awesome.

There’s also a proper RPG based on the world and mechanics of “DIE.” (Don’t worry, while players take the role of gamers pulled into the world of DIE, no real players have actually been isekai’d, at least not to the best of my knowledge.)

So fans were elated when writer Kieron Gillen announced that he’d be writing a new “DIE” comic, with artist Stephanie Hans returning to continue bringing her unique artistic style to the story.

Now all that remains is one question: Can “DIE: Loaded” capture that same magic? Let’s explore…

“DIE: Loaded” picks up a year after the first story ended. Ash resumes the role of narrator, catching us up with the cast of the first “DIE” comic and how things have changed in the year since they’ve returned. Suffice to say, there’s a lot to catch up on, including some good, some bad, and plenty of uncertainty.

After all, this isn’t the kind of comic where characters return home with all their issues sorted out and a happy ever after waiting for them; it’s the kind of comic where their challenges in the game world are a reflection of their issues outside of it, and facing one doesn’t mean the other is suddenly fixed.

As the narration catches us up to speed, we’re confronted with very real, very human issues – characters struggling with parenthood, gender, responsibilities, loss, familial conflicts, and adapting to a world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we’re reading a comic where characters are about to get pulled into a fantasy game world, the real-world problems they face are completely relatable and make them feel alive. Each character has a distinct personality, flaws, voice, and struggles, which come through in every moment we spend with them as readers.

The first part of the issue takes its time reintroducing us to its world and characters, introducing new characters, and showing us the impact of a major death from the previous series. The pacing is controlled, shifting between the narration taking us through scenes and the characters conversing (or clashing, as the case may be), before kicking it up as a new game begins.

In the first “DIE” comic, the characters we followed had gone through the game world once before, so they knew the world and their powers. We, as readers, were shown their past journeys through flashbacks and learned about the world through them. In “DIE: Loaded,” it’s a new cast of players (so far, at least), so the position is reversed – as readers, we’re at least somewhat familiar with the world and its mechanics, while the characters are new and must learn how everything works. This shift keeps things fresh, so we can see the story through a new set of eyes.

Of course, the new players are still connected to the original cast, which means we get some emotional gut-punches with a nice dash of foreshadowing and dramatic irony.

Now let’s talk about the art. Stephanie Hans, who illustrated the original “DIE” comics, returns for “DIE: Loaded,” which means that the new comic looks just as amazing as the first. Hans uses a soft, watercolor-like style for her artwork, focusing primarily on single color schemes per page in a way that makes each panel a work of art.

Hans’s character designs make each character’s voice, emotions, and personality come through in every panel, motion, and expression. The scenery and settings feel real and lived in while still maintaining that distinct artistic style she brings to each image, complete with lighting effects that both set the atmosphere and draw the reader’s eyes across the page.

Inside the game world, the artwork maintains its style while adding otherworldly settings, creatures, and effects. At one point, we’re given a two-page spread showing the different gods of the world, and each of them has a creative, evocative design that makes them truly feel divine. When we see powers in action, the way the gentle, smooth artwork blends each motion and moment turns comic panels into paintings, and goddamn does it look good.

When we want to talk about the colors, I can quote my review on Multiversity Comics from the previous “DIE” run, because her color work is just as good as before (if not better):

“And the colors. My god, the colors. Stephanie tends to use certain shades for each scene (usually red or blue) in a way that washes over everything in its select hue. Yet the way she works the shades in each scene makes the images all the more striking, with the colors contrasting or blending to brilliant effect. Her use of complementary colors strikes a great balance, like the orange light of magic illuminating the blue darkness of an empty dungeon.”

Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans haven’t missed a beat, picking up the story from “DIE” and moving it forward with the same gravitas, humanity, and expert craft that made the first comic a masterpiece. “DIE: Loaded” is off to a strong start, which means we can brace ourselves for an emotionally resonant story that changes the way we look at games and the very nature of storytelling. Again.