While I'm enjoying The Guild, I have to admit that the covers are something of a cheat.Each of the three covers in this series depict a heroic sword-and-sorcery setting, with the members of The Guild posing in a dramatic fashion - so someone picking up the issue might not realize that those adventures in the comic are part of an online game that ordinary people play.
Of course, that's no surprise to anyone who has seen actress / writer Felicia Day's live action web series based on the same concept (it's highly recommended, by the way).
This mini-series has served as a prequel to the web series, and it's also very good (despite my gripe about the covers).
The story centers around Cyd, a musician who's in a terrible relationship. Her boyfriend treats her badly, but she can't bring herself to break up with him (we all know someone like this, right?).
She finds escape and a better life while taking part in online role-playing games - she's confident, her friends work with her, and they all share goals and accomplishments - but are those relationships "real?"
It's certainly an unusual story for a comic book, but it's very well-written, with believable characters, funny twists to the story and genuine growth for the characters.
I like the art by Jim Rugg and colors by Dan Jackson - they provide clean visuals for both the somewhat plain and drab real world and the more technicolor existence in the game.
It's not the usual comic (thank goodness), and you shouldn't go into it expecting a lot of barbarian-style action scenes, but you will find a story well worth following. And if you haven't seen it yet, you'll be ready to watch the online version.
Grade: B+
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