Overwatch 2 releases today, and it's free-to-play! I have just the thing to mark the occasion. BACKGROUND:
I've already discussed my time with the first Overwatch (here), as well as my consumption of their comics (like when I talked about Tracer: London Calling here). I quite enjoy exploring Overwatch's world and characters, and a new limited series doing just that is right up my alley. SUMMARY: Each of the five issues focuses on a different hero, but it's all connected with one plotline. Cole Cassidy (the cowboy who was renamed because Blizzard shits out problematic nonsense like people breathe oxygen) is called on by Ana Amari to recruit members for the new incarnation of Overwatch. To recap, the hero team was outlawed by the UN after the Omnic War, but the uptick in crises all around the world causes former members to rise back up and answer the call once again. Cassidy is hesitant at first (wanting to just walk away from it all after spending some time as a mercenary), but after a long talk with Ana, he takes on the role as recruiter. First, Cassidy approaches Pharah, who is content serving under Helix (Egypt's defense group) and has no real interest in joining Overwatch. Cassidy takes the opportunity to bring his mother Ana and have the two talk it out after so long, at which point it's made clear that Ana was a distant mother who disapproved of Pharah's childhood dream to be a hero. After fending off a Talon attack, Ana and Pharah manage to reconcile, and Pharah agrees to join Overwatch. The next encounter is a bit strange, as it's Cassidy figuring out he's being followed by someone. He gets the drop on this someone, who is none other than Baptiste. Cassidy has intentions to take out Baptiste, as he was a Talon recruit, but the latter explains that he defected after learning of their terrorist activities. The two have a chance to build some trust as they work together to escape a Talon ambush, and in the aftermath, Cassidy extends an offer to Baptiste (noting that he, too, was given a second chance). Cassidy's next stop takes him to Russia to meet Zarya, who is helping fend off Omnics as a soldier. Here, we see Zarya's dedication to defending her home and her loved ones, as she goes alone to her home village to distract the enemy long enough so civilians can evacuate. Cassidy tags along to help, and after the action, Zarya needed little convincing to take up the recruitment offer. In the last issue, D. Va gets the spotlight as she and her fellow Meka Squad teammates try to fend off a full-scale attack in South Korea. Just when the odds seemed stacked against her team, the Overwatch team assembled by Cassidy swoops in to provide some much-needed assistance. D. Va is then asked to join Overwatch, and she is permitted to do so by her superior officer. Earlier on in this story, D. Va discussed the tactical merits of sharing intel/extending support to Overwatch as the worldwide crises escalate, and she was met with disagreement. The attack on Korea (which mirrored a similar incident in Paris) put things into perspective, and thus D. Va is assigned to be a liaison between Meka Squad and Overwatch. As always, it's cool to see these characters fleshed out, and their heroic natures really shine through in each story. I think I enjoyed Baptiste the most in this story, as even back during his Talon days, he was a combat medic and only wanted to help. Zarya is a close second, as her going one-woman army to save an entire village is simply badass. You're not going to get big storylines, encounters with the more villainous Overwatch characters, or deep lore on stuff like the Omnic War, but throughout the comic, they point out that former or prospective Overwatch agents are being targeted, and these attacks actually happen multiple times here. The fact that there are groups out there trying to prevent Overwatch from reassembling is ominous, and I'd love to read more of how that story plays out. The art style is akin to some anime I've seen, and that is most apparent to me in the way the characters' faces are drawn (especially the eyes). The specific elements that stood out to me were the thin outlining, neat flourishes in the more detailed panels, and the lovely color palette. VERDICT: Overwatch: New Blood is a fun little series that puts the spotlight on a few of the game's colorful characters. I liked seeing each of them do good in their respective corners of the globe, and the prospect of them putting their talents together for the good of all humanity sounds exciting. Give it a read if you like the game and its characters. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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