ANTHEM Comics and Books you should read

Did you know there is a comicbook miniseries prequel to BioWare’s video game Anthem? Like every other big title, this one also gets its own “The Art of…” book full of graphics and art from the game’s development process. Before you go on, let me give you a hint: this article is for the true fans of the game. If you were disappointed with BioWare’s game, you should probably ignore the following few paragraphs, as you wont find useful information in it!

I am the kind of a player, who doesn’t jump from one game to another just to check them out. I pick my titles carefully and stick with them. Anthem had a very rough start and is still trying to recover from it. Right now I am enjoying Anthem’s Cataclysm as it’s about to end this week.

For every fan, like me, who prefers to invest themselves into a game and learn as much as possible, I found it strange that there isn’t much about the game’s lore available outside of the Cortex pages.

But little is better than zero, right? There are a few gems available right now that may just fill some big gaps (but leave others, of course) in your knowledge.

BioWare have teamed up with Darkhorse once again to produce a Comicbook miniseries of three issues. Then there is The Art of Anthem book too! More about these in the following paragraphs.

THE ART OF ANTHEM

This is a book collecting in itself tons of art and visuals from the game’s development process. It reveals what the devs were thinking, how they expected certain mechanics to work, why this or that was changed to what we see today and more.

I wrote a lengthy review of The Art of Anthem when I bought it myself and went through it. I loved the presentation, the lore and the overall feeling it inspires.

Hundreds of pieces of art with commentary detailing the creation of BioWare’s groundbreaking epic in an expertly designed hardcover volume!

From the studio behind the hit franchises Dragon Age and Mass Effect comes the thrilling world of Anthem. Dark Horse Books and BioWare are proud to present The Art of Anthem, showcasing the grandeur and beauty of this dangerous new world.

Filled with behind-the-scenes looks at four years of game production, original concept art, and exclusive commentary from developers, The Art of Anthem is a fantastic addition to any gamer fan’s bookshelf!

CREATORS

Writers: Derek Watts, Jonathan Warner, Steve Kilt, Ken Fairclough, Alex Figini, Alex Negrea, Rael Lyra, Hernan Melzi
Genre: Video Game, Art Book
Publication Date: March 12, 2019
Format: FC, 192 pages; HC; 9″ x 12″

You can get the book on Amazon. I got mine in digital format from Darkhorse.

ANTHEM COMICS: STRONG ALONE, STRONGER TOGETHER

There are three comics released so far. They all form a mini-story that serves as a prequel to the main narrative in Anthem.

The story begins with Yarrow (one of the mission givers in the game) saving a young boy from an ambush – Kismet – and places him with a family in Fort Tarsis. The plot revolves around Kismet and Jani (his new sister), who grow up together, but their paths lead them to a different role – Jani becomes a pilot, while Kismet is drawn more towards the role of a Cypher.

From the video game developer that has defined roleplaying games with seminal franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur’s Gate, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comes a world brimming with new heroes, new threats, and new stories.

Yarrow–one of the brave warriors known as Freelancers who pilot powerful Javelin exosuits–rescues a lone boy, Kismet, from an ambush. With no family left alive, Kismet is placed with a family in Fort Tarsis, a human outpost surrounded by untamed wilderness. His adoptive sister, Jani, struggles with Kismet’s withdrawn personality at first, but over the years, the two become close friends. As they grow, Jani learns to fly and fight in Javelin armor, while Kismet trains to join the ranks of the mysterious Cyphers. The pair find themselves split, each pursuing their own craft of war, until an enemy force–large and vicious–appears on the horizon, bringing them together to face their ultimate test.

CREATORS