Image Comics’ DIE No. 2 review: Is this real life or is this just fantasy?

Ash and his friends are confronted by their past in the world of DIE, in the second issue of the Image Comics series about an RPG game gone bad.

DIE No. 2

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Stephanie Hans

DIE No. 2 cover (Credit: Image Comics)

It has been 25 years since they returned from the fantasy game world of DIE, but now Dominic Ash, his sister Angela and their friends Matt, Isabelle and Chuck, have found themselves trapped in that universe again and have come face-to-face with their long-lost friend, Solomon, the Grandmaster.

In Image Comics’ DIE No. 2, Sol is revealed to be so deeply entrenched in this fantasy world that he can no longer be reasoned with. How can Ash and the rest hope to escape DIE now that Sol has become a ‘railroading NPC’? Is their friend well and truly lost? If that’s the case, defeating the Grandmaster may be the only way out.

Except getting out is nearly impossible when the past has become a barricade to success. Old romances and hordes of enemies slow down the central players. Along the treacherous way, the realm of DIE is laid bare for the reader to behold and the turmoil of each character comes to the fore.

Reading DIE No. 2 is an intense and immersive experience. Author Kieron Gillen has obviously given plenty of thought to the mechanics of the DIE game and that deep world-building is evident in every page of this issue. Readers are given a blow-by-blow account of which archetype each character falls into and what the rules are for them. At the end of the book, Gillen also provides an extensive history of how the DIE game rules were created and subverted from those of other tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons.

Because of the expository style of this installment, the writing comes across as a little dense, almost like a game manual or rule-book. There’s also a generous sprinkling of geek terminology thrown in for good measure, which sometimes undercuts Gillen’s world-building. Not every in-story phrase needs to have a real-world geek equivalent or explanation.

Panel from DIE No. 2 (Credit: Image Comics)

All of this can make the book seem daunting for newcomers to tabletop gaming, while providing comfortable nostalgia for veterans. This in no way means that non-gamers cannot enjoy DIE No. 2, in fact, the world feels too rich to leave aside, not least because the interpersonal relationships between the five protagonists are so dysfunctional as to be gripping.

This issue elaborates on the backstory of the protagonists’ final moments in DIE more than two decades ago, and we, as readers, feel the weight of their anguish throughout. Every time a figment from their pasts resurfaces, it’s a gut-wrenching reminder of how their lives were irrevocably changed during one birthday celebration when they were 16-years-old, but also a painful realization of what Sol had been left to deal with, alone in the game-world, for nearly thirty years.

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While the previous issue was almost completely devoid of humor, in DIE No. 2 the attempts at humor feel contrived and childish. Chuck is the Fool and joker of the group, and unfortunately, his characterization is painfully out of sync with modern sensibilities. The other characters, who are burdened with pathos, are much more interesting. What would be great to see is if the series creators can bring some depth to Chuck – a person may act the fool, but it is those who mask their complexity with humor that make for the best characters. Since we’re only two issues into the series, one can expect that many layers the characters’ personalities will be revealed to readers at a later stage.

Stephanie Hans’ art continues to be wonderful to look at. The colors and canvas finish give this book an eerie feel while still being captivating. The landscapes of DIE are breath-taking, while the character designs evoke fantasy favorites while still remaining unique and new.

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Two issues in and the majority of the characterization has been on Ash. While Gillen has given readers an insight into what makes the other characters tick, they are still in the background of Ash’s story. But the series has made baby steps into its own grand universe and set up a world that is equal parts intriguing and terrifying. The five friends are already falling into their designated in-game roles, which have started to tear them apart. It’ll be a long wait to see how they can work together to return home.

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