LIBRARY JOURNAL --
Sims and Bowers (<i>X-Men'92</i>)
embrace 1980s nostalgia in this metafantasy centered on Atari's
<i>SwordQuest</i> video game series. The actual games included a contest
featuring a jeweled sword as a prize. Unfortunately, the collapse of the home
console market meant that contest was never completed. Here, terminally ill
Peter Case wants to track down the sword before he dies. Enlisting the aid of
his childhood friends, Peter plans a heist at the Retro Gaming Expo. This gets
complicated when it's revealed that the backstory of the game series is true and
an evil wizard and his minions will do everything they can to thwart Peter and
his pals. Artist Ghostwriter X (<i>Down Set Fight</i>) does a good job of
balancing real-world and fantasy segments, using classic video game imagery and
hiding clues in panels like the comics packaged with the original games. There
is more talk than action, though, with the emphasis on rekindling
friendships.<br /><b>Verdict</b> While
smaller in scope, <i>SwordQuest</i> hits similar points as Ernest Cline's
<i>Ready Player One</i>, making it a good read-alike option. Overall, this is
more serious than readers seeking an Atari game-based comic might expect.-Terry
Bosky, Madison, WI<br /><br /><br />

LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Sims and Bowers (<i>X-Men'92</i>)
embrace 1980s nostalgia in this metafantasy centered on Atari's
<i>SwordQuest</i> video game series. The actual games included a contest
featuring a jeweled sword as a prize. Unfortunately, the collapse of the home
console market meant that contest was never completed. Here, terminally ill
Peter Case wants to track down the sword before he dies. Enlisting the aid of
his childhood friends, Peter plans a heist at the Retro Gaming Expo. This gets
complicated when it's revealed that the backstory of the game series is true and
an evil wizard and his minions will do everything they can to thwart Peter and
his pals. Artist Ghostwriter X (<i>Down Set Fight</i>) does a good job of
balancing real-world and fantasy segments, using classic video game imagery and
hiding clues in panels like the comics packaged with the original games. There
is more talk than action, though, with the emphasis on rekindling
friendships.<br /><b>Verdict</b> While smaller in
scope, <i>SwordQuest</i> hits similar points as Ernest Cline's <i>Ready Player
One</i>, making it a good read-alike option. Overall, this is more serious than
readers seeking an Atari game-based comic might expect.-Terry Bosky, Madison,
WI<br /><br /><br /><br />