The sun has been blotted out, and dark creatures have emerged from the darkness. Can Darcy handle the new normal and become a vampire hunter? Find out in Impact Winter #1 by Image Comics!
IMPACT WINTER #1
Writer: Travis Beacham
Artist: Stephen Green
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Editor: Amanda LaFranco
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: July 13th, 2022
Previously in Impact Winter: This one-shot is a prequel to the podcast series! A comet hit the earth and blacked out the sun. Without the sun, vampires emerged from the darkness to lay their claim on the world. In the British countryside, Darcy and a group of survivors thrive in a fallout shelter of a castle.
TORMENTED
Impact Winter #1 introduces us to Darcy, an angry young woman. Darcy is so mad that she doesn’t experience fear in dangerous situations. When looking for fuel, Darcy is caught off guard and nearly killed by a blighter, a mindless vampire. She is saved by a friend, Godwin. After returning home, Darcy removes her sword because she is not ready to fight and must be alive for her sister. However, she still trains in fighting and even has a brief kiss with Goodwin. Unfortunately, Goodwin goes on a mission and goes missing.
Many months later, Darcy hears a radio transmission and realizes Goodwin may still be alive. She escapes and encounters Goodwin, but something is off. Suddenly, Darcy can’t move and is bitten by her old friend. Realizing Goodwin is a vampire, she runs away and sets a trap. Pretending to be caught by Goodwin’s hypnosis, Darcy decapitates Goodwin.
THE FIRST KILL
First and foremost, Impact Winter has fantastic art and character design. Darcy holding this large sword with this striking and semi-gravity-defying hair, stands out on the page. And for what it is worth, you can really get into the protagonist’s mind. I sense her youthful angst as she tries to navigate a difficult situation. And I think that is the strength of the comic. Darcy being a compelling character makes the simple plot exciting.
I am not familiar with the source material. It is my understanding that this is a prequel to the podcast. And this provides an excellent hook for me. However, there isn’t much complexity in the storyline. Goodwin becoming a vampire seemed predictable to me. Because I figured this out, I could focus on the character development and the art rather than the mystery. But it did diminish the tension of the story overall. Still, great work by the creative team.
BOTTOM LINE: SOLID READ
I love an excellent one-shot comic, and it is difficult to have a complete narrative arc in just a few short pages. Impact Winter #1 is a successful one-shot and worth picking up. Especially if you like apocalyptic dystopian vampires. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Impact World #1
Impact Winter #1 provides an excellent context for the source material and makes me want to learn more about Darcy and this crazy world.
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com