Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team #1
Dark Horse Comics
Words by Cullen Bunn
Art by Miguel Valderrama
Colors by Jason Wordie
Letters by Frank Cvetkovic
Being based on the yet to be released video game Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red we get Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team. The story follows Nidia who lost her whole team in a mission and is trying to get back in the field. One thing worth noting is that this takes place during the time frame of the game.
From the first page to the last page the issue is a mess. Being tied to a game that doesn’t release for another 2 months is mind boggling. Someone at Dark Horse or CD Projekt Red should have waited until the game to come out to have a reference to base this on. Not having that reference hinders the potential the story has.
The story itself is good when it’s disassociated with Cyberpunk 2077. Bunn has created a strong stable footing for a sci-fi story set in the future. The dialogue is a bit clique but doesn’t deter from the emotions and feelings that Nadia is hiding or going through. Having it part of the game makes a lot of the terminology confusing as mentioned earlier because of the lacking reference points.
Valderrama’s art is near perfect for the issue for a sci-fi story. The details on each panel and the consistency is the main stand out selling point for this issue. Many of the characters are wearing helmets and having them show emotions with their bodies and action takes understanding of the human anatomy. Tragically those details can only go so far when almost all the Trauma Team looks identical with no discerning features to separate them.
If this was under a different name I would gladly give it a higher score. Yet it is supposed to be tied into a game that hasn’t been released yet and not having that reference to understand the story makes this issue a disappointment. After the game is released this is something worth revisiting as it will make more sense and should be graded on a complete scale rather than the partial one I am forced to use.