Die: Loaded Vol. 1

 

Die: Loaded Vol. 1: Zero Sessions by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, 176 pages.

A year after they finally escape the world of Die (hopefully for the last time), the players gather for Chuck's wake in the midst of a pandemic. The reverberations of the group disappearing for a second time with no explanation has deeply shaken their loved ones, and healing will be a long process. A process that is abruptly interrupted when those who were left behind have to experience Die for themselves.

This is the start to a direct sequel series of the "goth Jumanji" comic DIE. Although it is a sequel with completely different characters, it was a little more direct than I was expecting, and I did find myself wishing I had reread the original series before diving into this one. That being said, this is a great continuation! We are already getting to see a lot of the world that we didn't in the first comic line, as our new protagonists know nothing about the world, and very little about the TTRPG logic that it runs on. This gives not only a really interesting perspective, but a chance to explore the same setting with completely different themes. Gillen and Hans continue to write stories that are both exciting and deeply emotionally resonate, and I'm excited to see where this story goes next!