By George Smrekar — 10/03/22

Released in September 2005, Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty Issue #0 arrived with both high and no expectations. Somewhat of a bonus issue itself, the profile book format looked to address both long-time fans and potential newcomers and for the most part, exceeded expectations. Laying down some solid (no pun intended) foundation for the two trade paperbacks fated to follow it, there’s simply not much to deride here. Written by the team of Matt Fraction, Alex Garner and Kris Oprisko, it loaded the bases faster than I expected. Illustrated by Ashley Wood, it drives home the winning run. Let’s start there and work our way back.

The striking art by Ashley Wood should instantly be recognizable to veterans of the series. Wood was responsible for the motion comic cutscenes in both Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and the Metal Gear Solid 4 flashbacks. The fact the pages look like snippets from the video games lends both a sense of authenticity and credibility to the proceedings. An anchor for fans, but also a quality to the look that is both unique and familiar at the same time. Wood knows his way around both mediums and knows how to tell this story. A brash, sharp and minimalist look highlighted by a palette of warm brown/orange earth tones, as well as cold grey/blues. Wood permeates personality in his faces and mystery in his shadows, two keys of the series. Just enough originality that you’re kept on your toes, with just enough familiarality to keep it canon. There’s enough subconscious immersion to keep you invested without feeling like a retread of the games. A great balance, making the comic both its own thing yet consistent with the grand finale scheme of things, preserving continuity.

The cover features a collage of stark headshots, a VIP board if you will that includes Solid Snake, Liquid Snake and what could either be the third enfants terribles (Solidus) or Big Boss himself. The resemblance was always uncanny. While Solidus takes front and center in Sons of Liberty, the specter of Big Boss looms over the IP at all times. It’s a great cover and shows off that distinctive Portable Ops style right from the get-go. Scratchy with detail in the faces that convey personality without saying a word. Those looking for dramatic bandana gusts and drooping necklines in this issue, won’t be disappointed.

Predominantly presented as a character profile book, issue #0 also provides a recap of the Shadow Moses incident by way of characters from that story. Each character gets their own dedicated page with pictures on one side and bios on the other. The proceedings start off with the protagonist Solid Snake, not only finely foreboding in design but finely written as well. Described as fluent in 6 languages with an IQ of 180 and vast land/sea/air military training, readers unfamiliar with the games get some sense of the character while veterans get a brief refresher. This best of both worlds approach echoes throughout the issue. Everyone old and new is given the same amount of page time and attention to detail. This keeps the flow of the book consistent throughout, as story beats are slipped into the biographies from both MGS 1 and 2 without breaking stride.