Issue: The Guild: Zaboo
Release Date: December 28, 2011
Writers: Felicia Day and Sandeep Parikh
Artist: Becky Cloonan
Colors: Dave Stewart
Cover A: Evan Dorkin
Cover B: Georges Jeanty
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
We all know Zaboo has had his problems with his mother, and that they go way back to his childhood. In this prequel comic, we learn how he finally escaped from her in order to pursue Codex, who he has wrongly interpreted as flirting with him in The Game.
The whole comic is set up as a mini-game in which you can earn XP based on certain actions. In the end, you get to be ranked as to how much like Zaboo the stalker you are. Apparently I’m an “Ensign Stalkerazzi,” (245 points) although 100 of my points are just because I had knowledge of the show so I’m not sure that quite counts. This set-up seems particularly appropriate because Zaboo clearly views life as a video game as evidenced by the way he goes about escaping. For example, when attempting to get a ticket to see Codex despite not having any money, his immediate ideas for getting money involve playing video games. This also demonstrates his inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy, something he’s had trouble with since grade school.
The artwork in the comic is nicely done; characters are clear and easy to identify. There are also tons of little background references to find, like Bladezz burning his sister’s school work and Clara eating baby food (which is a large turkey leg in The Game). The writing, too, is solid; I could hear the voices of the characters speaking the lines as I was reading. Of course, it was written by Felicia Day and Sandeep Parikh, so that makes sense. They did a nice job of capturing the early feel of the show despite the fact that it started four years ago and the characters have grown since then.
If you enjoy The Guild, you’ll certainly enjoy reading this comic. It’s a well done back story of the events that set in motion what happens in the first season. Go out and get it now!
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
