Dishonored 2
The Dishonored Comic – Inside the Art
Dishonored 2
Ask a fan what they think of Dishonored and several things spring to mind: compelling characters and a world that reacts to the player’s choices; unique mechanics and supernatural abilities that allow them to bend the game to fit their playstyle, no matter what it might be; and, of course, the stunning painterly art style.
When you translate something like Dishonored into a new medium, all of these things must be considered. Recently we spoke with Gordon Rennie, the author of the Dishonored comic book series, about crafting a comic book narrative set in the Empire of the Isles. With the issues one through three now available, we’ve turned our Dark Vision onto Andrea Olimpieri, the artist who’s bringing Rennie’s story to life.
What’s your history with Dishonored?
Before getting involved in this adventure, I had played Dishonored at a friend’s house. Even though the architecture of Dunwall fascinated me, my work schedule prevented me from really experiencing the world in depth. When I accepted this project from Titan, knowing that world became part of my job, I finally had an excuse: It’s not playing, it’s studying!
Dishonored has a very unique style. Did you have to adapt your own work to suit this book or was this a natural artistic fit for you?
I usually paint large black surfaces to add atmosphere to my work, but in this project I decided to tone down this habit, bringing light to the countless details of the world of Dishonored without losing its dark, raw feeling.
**What kind of direction or feedback did you get from the team at Arkane? **
Before reading the script I had time to do some sketches of the characters, and the guys at Arkane appreciated them. During the actual project they asked for very few corrections, which is always good for a comic artist, especially when you are working on an established IP. It means you’re already expressing what they had in mind.
How did you translate Corvo’s mystical abilities to the graphic novel format?
As a gamer and a fan of Dishonored, I tried to remain as faithful as possible to Arkane’s vision for Corvo’s powers. I wanted to pay homage to the game and keep everything as true to form as I could.
Now that a few issues are out, do you have a favorite panel? Were there any that were particularly difficult for you?
Not just a panel, but a whole page. Page 7 of the first issue is definitely one of my favorites, probably because it’s the first time we see Corvo put on his mask and use his powers. The first pages were the most difficult ones, because I was still trying to get into the setting. With a great script by Gordon and the guys at Arkane, and Marcelo’s color wizardry, I’m really happy with how it all turned out. The process has been laborious, but also really fun. The process has been laborious, but also really fun.
Check out some preview pages for issue #3 below. Click on the images for the full version.
