In a day and age where virtual reality is attainable and new video game consoles are always on the horizon, it’s not so hard to imagine a world like Cemetery Kids Don’t Die sprouting up. The new series from Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri introduce readers to a video game world not unlike Baldur’s Gate 3, only they play it while they sleep. With the world seemingly falling further down into a muck of global warming and capitalist uncertainty, why not boot up a gaming system while you sleep? It’s a compelling idea, although when one reaches the end of this issue, you might have second thoughts.
Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 opens in a world that looks like our own, but cast in dark gloom. Soon, we see something is amiss. What are those creatures in the distance, and why is there a body floating in a puddle? We cut to our four main characters in full battle regalia, ready to fight. Each one is designed in a cool and unique way, which seems to suggest the humans controlling them put a lot of thought into every piece of clothing and character class. They’re soon attacked, and it’s not until coins pop out of an enemy that we realize it’s all a video game. The risk is lessened, but one of our characters dies.
Design by Daniel Irizarri.
The story then cuts to the morning in Ontario, Canada, where the two main characters wake from gaming. After detaching an organic-looking system by pulling it from their ears, we get to meet the real them. It’s apparent from the start that Thompson has a great handle on these teen characters and their voices. They’re nervous, on edge as one might be, and unique from each other. You probably knew someone like them in school.
As we begin to see maybe the gaming world is creeping into the real world for one of them, the comic drops us back into another night of gaming. A lengthier bout this go around, Thompson and Irizarri do a great job capturing the fun and adventure of open-world gaming. Fantasy tropes are aplenty, and it’s fun to see them having fun in the game.
One gripe I did have is the lack of information surrounding the gaming device. It’s early in the story, so there’s plenty of time to flesh it out, but I was left wondering what it has to do with the cliffhanger or even how long it has been around. It’s crazy to think a death in game affects you due to you being in a dream while playing, but how it connects to your psychology, or even how it’s safe, are big questions left unanswered.
Irizarri’s art works well for the story, capturing the uniqueness of the teen characters and the epic nature of their video game avatars. The violence in the game is never too disturbing or graphic due to the style. That said, the horror in the real world is pretty damn gross and might have you itching the back of your neck for the night.
It’s not until the last few pages we realize how bad things have gotten for one of the kids, which seriously puts into question what is going on. It’s a good hook as we wait for the next issue to learn what is going on, be it some sort of virus, demons, or worse.
Cemetery Kids Don’t Die is a compelling sci-fi horror with strong character writing and a premise that feels closer to home than it should. With people booting up virtual reality more and more, how soon before a new technology sweeps the nation and promptly has a horrific side effect? Cemetery Kids Don’t Die is the horror take on Ready Player One you’ve been waiting for.
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