We are pretty big Borderlands fans here at 2 Shots. I know Kolby has sinked at least 60 hours into it, we’d have a Borderlands 2 review up if we could pry the controller out of his hands long enough for him to type one up. Gearbox is pretty big on fan service. If you haven’t checked out the Claptrap web series of videos, you really should, they are hilarious. Since Borderlands is all about the loot, it doesn’t have as big a focus on story as other RPGs. The world of Pandora does have a rich story however, and Gearbox is planning on fleshing that out some more through a series of comics by IDW. They will go over the story on how each of the main characters met each other. We begin the series with Roland. The comic is written by Mike Neumann with art by Agustin Padilla. I like that the series begins with Roland. He is an integral part of the story in Borderlands 2, and I mained him in Borderlands. These are short stories, and it shows what each character was doing before Borderlands begins. Roland is part of a mercenary group doing work for the Atlas corporation. We see him interacting with his team and his employer, and Neumann keeps Roland’s personality in line with what we see in Borderlands 2. For such a short book, we see a good amount of character development, action, surprise, and get more insight into the Borderlands universe. There are tidbits in the comic that will click with Borderlands fans, and you will see how things you saw in the games got their start. I can’t say any more without really spoiling things, but this first issue does a good job in setting up Roland’s future.
Borderlands Origins #1 is well drawn, the style is very similar to the artwork we have seen in literature for the games. Nothing seems out of place, and it is easy to imagine this is Pandora. If you are interested in knowing more about this very interesting world, I really recommend giving Borderlands Origins a shot. I’m glad I did, and I look forward to reading the rest of the books as I continue playing Borderlands 2. Not all loot is guns, some of the best loot is completing the experience and making that loot all the more meaningful. I applaud Gearbox and 2K Games for going to IDW to expand the universe we love so much. Here’s to more great adventures in Pandora.