Comic book that explores psychosis has no panels
Ninja Theory's upcoming adventure game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is dipping its toes into another medium with an exclusive pre-order comic that digs into the story of the game's protagonist, a warrior with psychosis brought on by her traumatic past.
The comic, Hellblade: Senua's Song #1, is made in collaboration between Ninja Theory and comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment with art by Ben Templesmith.
In Hellblade, Senua is a Celtic warrior who journeys into the Viking underworld of Hel to find the soul of her dead lover. At least she thinks she is. She has psychosis, giving her vivid hallucinations and a drive to keep pushing toward her goal.
Ninja Theory co-founder and creative director Tameem Antoniades said the team collaborated with neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and groups of people who currently or previously experienced psychosis.
"We've been consulting with these various different groups over the last couple years to try to represent what these things look like and feel like as best we can," he said.
You play as Senua in Hellblade, hearing the same voices and seeing the same visions just as she does. The comic dives into one scene from her journey as a warrior, told in the form of an epic poem written by Antoniades and brought to life with the dark and gothic watercolor style of Templesmith.
"Dark and gritty is my thing, I hope," Templesmith said. "And I'm a fan of history and mythology, so this sort of thing is right up my alley!"
But Templesmith recognized that he'd need to do away with a comic book staple in order for it to fit Hellblade's theme of psychosis, centered around an unreliable narrative.
"Well, we decided early on, even though it's a comic, to dispense with all the panel borders and have everything bleed into one," he said. "So you're not really sure where one part starts and another stops."
Here's a sneak peek at a few pages of Hellblade: Sensua Song #1:
Senua's Song # 1 will be exclusively available as a bonus for anyone who pre-orders Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice on Steam or GOG before Aug. 8.
