‘Borderlands Volume 2: The Fall of Fyrestone’ Comic Review

“AAAAAAAAND OPEN!”

If you heard that in Claptrap’s voice, then you’ve come to the right place. Borderlands is one of my all time favorite games, so I basically consume anything and everything that has to do with the vault hunters, Pandora, and now (thanks to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel) the not-so elusive moonbase. As I read through The Fall of Fyrestone I was as immersed in it as I was in the actual games; I could hear the character voices whenever they spoke, could picture the vastness of Pandora, could connect certain parts of the story with key parts of the game. The comic and the game are certainly two separate entities—you can read the comic if you’ve never played the game and still absolutely love it, as it provides a great story and enough information that readers won’t feel lost—but if you have played, they tie in together really nicely. The Fall of Fyrestone features everything that you’d expect from a Borderlands titled-item; it’s got guns, it’s got bandits, it’s got vault hunters and, of course, it has everyone’s favorite annoying but helpful robot, Claptrap. The Borderlands universe is full of cool tech, lively characters, and rich, fascinating stories, and all of these elements are present in Borderlands Volume 2: The Fall of Fyrestone.

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For those unfamiliar with the Borderlands universe, this volume does an excellent job of introducing characters, setting up a great plotline, and explaining the ins and outs of Pandora. And for those who are familiar with this universe, it presents a story that players will be familiar with from in-game prompts and locations—the central conflict for this volume takes place in Fyrestone, the initial location where players are dropped off in the first game. It provides a backstory regarding what became of Fyrestone before the vault hunters arrived on Pandora—a sort of prelude—and serves as an introduction to the first group of vault hunters that we meet in the franchise; Brick, Lilith, Mordecai, and Roland. It’s really cool to get to know the characters outside of the game and see them expressed in a different kind of medium, and it’s not just the vault hunters; we’re introduced to Scooter, the crazy mechanic, Nine Toes, a bandit boss who is faced in the game, and Marcus, Pandora’s main arms dealer. We get new stories of difficulties that they’ve encountered and the people whom they’ve lost. There are moments that are injected with emotion, a theme that some might find surprising for a franchise that’s marketed as ‘shoot and loot’, but it’s so well done and really adds another level to a story that’s already thoroughly enjoyable.

The comic itself is stunning; everything about it is reminiscent of the Borderlands that we see on the screen. From muted desert tones and art that clearly depicts the terrain of Pandora, to the dialogue from each of the characters, this volume is excellent in tone and beautifully crafted, staying true to the Borderlands universe that has been built up. Each of the characters comes with their own distinct personality that reflects how they’ve been portrayed in the games, which is a great plus for those who have become attached to the characters’ idiosyncracies.

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This was an exciting and fulfilling read, bringing together everything that we’ve come to expect from the Borderlands universe and filled with rich characters, nonstop action, and endless excitement. It’s shooting and looting on the page, but the narrative is held together by the characters (and of course, with occasional assistance from Claptrap), and one of the best parts was that the characters all stayed true to their personalities and kept the plot moving along. Whether you’ve already experienced the adventures of the vault hunters on Pandora or you’re brand new to the series, this is a great title to pick up and check out.

Plus, you can really never have enough Claptrap, now can you?

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