If what I saw of RAGE at last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo is any indication, shooter fans have plenty to look forward to this fall. id Software needs no introduction, and any project they undertake merits attention by default. However, I've never found myself interested in the storytelling aspects of any id-developed game -- save for Doom 3, and even then, only for the manner in which it developed its story. RAGE: Issue #1 feels like little more than a setup, albeit an interesting one. Whether it manages to build something successful on this foundation will be determined when the second and third issues hit the shelves.
The events that set RAGE's narrative in motion occur in the not-too-distant future; the year 2029 to be exact. To everyone's dismay, Asteroid 99942 (codename Apophis) wasn't a false alarm after all; instead, it ended up on course for a direct collision with Earth. As a last ditch effort to preserve humanity's elite, the Eden Project was born. A series of cryo arks was built with the express purpose of sustaining any life contained therein. The original plan was to program the arks to burrow into the ground and resurface only when the coast was clear. However, a group of twelve military officers calling themselves the Twelve Visionaries staged a coup, seizing control of the project and making dramatic alterations to the original plan. In this new plan, only the scientists and engineers were allowed the safety of the arks, and even then, they were forced into them at gunpoint. The Twelve Visionaries themselves programmed their own arks to resurface long before the others. As does the upcoming game, RAGE: Issue #1 takes place well after Apophis, though the Earth itself doesn't seem to be recovering all that smoothly...
This comic introduces us to Dr. Elizabeth Cadence, one of the scientists "fortunate" enough to have an ark, and even more "fortunate" to have had her ark survive the impact of Apophis. It opens in 2095, as Cadence's ark surfaces and opens up. No longer is the world a thriving bed of life; now, it's a hollowed-out husk full of decay and bloodshed. Those who wish to remain alive follow the laws and ordinances set by The Authority, the faceless governing body established by the Twelve Visionaries. Those who don't roam the land scavenging and murdering without remorse. These raiders serve as a very rough wake-up call to Dr. Cadence, but The Authority's enforcers rescue her and take her to a military compound. It turns out, Apophis was rich in a substance called Feltrite, which has been causing disturbing mutations in the local populace. Initially, she believes her job is simply to research the substance's effects on man, but it turns out, The Authority has other plans.
RAGE: Issue #1 doesn't weave a dense, complicated tale. However, its characters are very difficult to connect with. It's sad that Dr. Cadence lost her husband and son, and it's easy to tell that The Authority is not to be trusted, but everything that happens in this comic simply feels like the prologue to a big-budget action picture. And perhaps that's exactly what this story wants to be. However, the dialogue is limp and dull, which kills a lot of the story's appeal.
The artistry behind RAGE: Issue #1 is fine, though the desolate, empty setting doesn't do it any favors. At least the perspective is cinematic and intriguing; lighting and coloring effects also go a long way in establishing the mood. The comic's most violent scenes are appropriately disgusting, at least.
So I'm not sure what to make of the RAGE comic series. The most interesting parts of this first issue are the inside of the front cover and the glossary in the back. That's not a great sign, and the fact that there are only two more to go in this series doesn't make me hopeful. At least the game still looks like it's going to kick ass.
