Pixels and Panels: Dead Space

Hey there, and welcome to another edition of our games column, Pixels and Panels. As you’ve no doubt seen by our coverage here, the worlds of video games and comic books are more closely intertwined than ever before. This column will explore comic book video games and explore games that make the leap the other direction and become comic books. We’ll track the trends, give you some previews and reviews, and explore every side of the transition from Pixels to Panels and back again.

EA loves being the big dog. They have no qualms with being the publisher that puts out the annual EA Sports games that sell boatloads. Nothing is wrong in their eyes with putting out the best selling series of PC games of all time (The Sims). However, they want more, and they want different. One of the first upcoming games that will be reaching in a new direction for the giant is their new survival horror game Dead Space.

The first thing EA needed to make sure of is that this isn’t just “Resident Evil...IN SPAAAACCCCEEEE!!!” One of the ways they’re doing this is crafting a unique story, not just for the game, but even leading up to it. First on the docket was the Dead Space comic, written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Ben Templesmith. The six issue series serves as a prequel to the game, and shows how things get to the point where a lone engineer becomes the only hope of staving off a “vicious alien infestation,” as EA said in their initial press release for the game. One of the cooler pieces of convergence has been borne from this, as well, in the form of the Dead Space animated comic, the latest of which can be found right here in our video section - just click the "Games" tab.

Now, it turns out, there was comic book-y involvement earlier in the game’s life, as well. From Warren Ellis’s Bad Signal newsletter this week:

“Oh, I got released from an NDA the other day, so I can finally say that I wrote a bunch of the groundwork, backstory and structure on the forthcoming EA videogame DEAD SPACE, which recently got a comic prequel from the hands of Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith. I believe there was at least one other writer on the project, but I'm sure there's some of me in there somewhere.”

This isn’t his first work in the gaming industry, but it is certainly the most high profile to date. Newsarama has contacted EA about this development, and we’ll have more for you as it comes. Until then, go read the comic, watch the video comic, and prepare yourself for some survival horror... IN SPAAAACCCCEEEE!!!