I’ve discussed a lot of different comic books here for a while now, but I have yet to discuss any series that seek to adapt stories from video games. With that in mind, you can expect me to discuss DC’s Mortal Kombat X series at some point. For now, though I figured I’d start with a series that is freely available to read online.

Zed is a six-issue miniseries set within the universe of the popular MOBA League of Legends. The story is written by Odin Austin Shafer, with art by Edgar Salazar and Chris O’Halloran. The plot follows a ninja from the land of Ionia by the name of Zed. Once a part of the prestigious Kinkou order, Zed is now living in exile for his past crimes. However, when a serial killer by the name of Khada Jhin returns to wreak havoc across Ionia, Zed must try to reconcile with his closest friend Shen in order to stop him.

If you’re looking for more insight into the world or characters after watching the Netflix series Arcane, then I think you’ll find things to enjoy here. While I would say this story requires a little more background knowledge to fully appreciate, it does a decent enough job of giving just enough background for newcomers.

The main interpersonal conflict here between Zed and Shen is quite well done. It’s very akin to the conflict between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in Star Wars. However, here the character motivations and choices feel more believable and nuanced. Zed chooses evil for many reasons rather than one singular event, and his spiral down the dark path is interwoven among the core themes which define this region of Runeterra.

Another great aspect of this series is the villain. Khada Jhin is easily one of League‘s best characters. His dedication to carrying out his twisted form of art is something that you can’t help but be enraptured by. Like the Joker from Batman, Jhin is threatening because he lacks a shred of sanity, and this lends him an element of unpredictability. His charismatic personality is one that stands in sharp contrast to both of our heroes, while his actions provide the catalyst for the continued escalation of all major conflicts across this tale. Also, he has a lot of the best dialogue hands down.

Unfortunately, it’s the dialogue that is easily the weakest aspect of the series. It ranges from passable to downright cringeworthy in a few places. Although these characters are from this mystical, magical land clearly inspired by East Asia, they often talk like a young person you would meet on the street. The worst offenders are easily the side characters, Kayn and Akali who often utilize 21st-century phrasing such as; shoulda, gonna, etc. It breaks my immersion at times.

Not only that it often creates a divisive picture of who the character is. For example, Kayn projects through his dialogue that he is both a power-hungry, ruthless disciple of an order of shadow assassins’ and a goofy kid who likes exchanging one-liners. It’s jarring, to say the least, and seems a disservice to the character’s personality that’s conveyed through his gameplay.

Another gripe I has was with the artwork at times. I enjoy the style and coloring but found that a few pages and panels often came together awkwardly. This is especially the case within action scenes, where it’s often not very clear what exactly is happening. I was often left with the feeling that there should be extra panels detailing more varied fight beats and techniques rather than simple basic slugfests.

Given the supernatural abilities these characters wield, it would have been nice to see more creative fights structured throughout the story. Only Zed himself really has the chance to employ his cool attacks, which is good given he’s the focus. However, I wonder at the point of including so many other heroes in the story if you were not planning on giving them cool things to do.

My last big issue comes with the pacing, which certainly feels a little rushed toward the end. This is to be expected given how short the series is and how much was crammed into the final issue especially. Nonetheless, it was a detractor for me given I found the core story here quite compelling.

Overall, I think I would still recommend this series to folks looking for more insight into other characters and places touched upon within Arcane. For a devout player of League, I’d say there’s less of a reason to read this given most of the storyline was already told through a quick glance over Zed and Jhin’s champion Bio. The real new revelations come only towards the tail end of the final issue. However, I still enjoyed this enough to continue making my way through the other comics devoted to other champions within this world.

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ZED

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Great Villain
• Solid Plot and Conflict
• Decent Character Writing

Cons

• Dialogue Can be Weak
• Art Can Lack Clarity