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MGS Comic

Front cover for the first hardback volume of the Metal Gear Solid comic.

The Metal Gear Solid comic series are comics that cover the storylines of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The comics were published by IDW Publications and are separated into volumes, with both the Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty comics each containing 12 volumes.

The dialogue in the comics is largely taken straight from the respective games, though there are some minor changes. An art book was released in 2007, and in 2010, a combination was released as an omnibus.[1] A deluxe version of both comic book series containing all 24 volumes was released in 2014.

Metal Gear Solid[]

In September 2004, IDW began publishing the first series of Metal Gear Solid comics, written by Kris Oprisko and illustrated by Ashley Wood.

The majority of the dialogue from Metal Gear Solid remains unchanged, but some conversations have been left out, such as Kenneth Baker telling Solid Snake to look on the back of the CD case to find out Meryl Silverburgh's Codec frequency, and some extra scenes have been added, such as the scene where Psycho Mantis tries to take over Gray Fox's mind. All of the characters from the game appear with the exception of Nastasha Romanenko.

The adaption of Metal Gear Solid was later released as an interactive comic book on the PlayStation Portable as part of Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel.

Several copies of Metal Gear Solid #1 can be seen in the office of the Groznyj Grad prison in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Similarly, they could also be found in Dr. Emmerich's lab in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, a remake of Metal Gear Solid.

Story differences between the game and the comic book[]

  • Various scenes are added between the members of FOXHOUND as they discus their plans.
  • During his fight with Revolver Ocelot, Snake shoots a steam pipe to harm Ocelot.
  • Vulcan Raven is made to be much bigger than he is in either the original or the remake.
  • Vulcan Raven is shown to have the ability to see through his ravens.
  • Snake gets his first Codec call from Miller after he enters the Nuclear Storage Building after he defeats Vulcan Raven in his tank.
  • Psycho Mantis tries to use his psychokinesis on Gray Fox after Gray Fox fights Snake.
  • Otacon is shown meeting up with Sniper Wolf after he feeds her wolves.
  • There are various illusions created by Psycho Mantis that Snake sees, the most major one of which shows Miller showing up to defeat Psycho Mantis before Gray Fox holds back Vulcan Raven, allowing Snake to make it to Liquid and Ocelot, the later of which holds Meryl hostage. Snake notices that Ocelot has both of his hands which is how he figures out that this is an illusion.
    • Other illusions that Psycho Mantis forces on Snake include making him believe that his skin is on fire and that the dead solider that Snake has killed are trying to grab him and tear him apart.
  • Snake acquires the PSG-1 before encountering Sniper Wolf for the first time meaning he doesn't have to back track to get it.
  • The first fight with Sniper Wolf is very different, Snake, after the PSG-1 is shot out of his hands, runs towards Sniper Wolf to shoot her with his SOCOM, using Stun Grenades to blind her so she can't shoot him in time.
  • During Snake's torture scene, Meryl is shown to being forced to watch Snake's torture by Sniper Wolf.
  • Instead of breaking out of his cell, Snake is saved during a torture session by Gray Fox who makes Ocelot run away.
  • After Snake escapes his torture, Sniper Wolf runs into Otacon who she admits to liking before giving him a handkerchief the belonged to her deceased mother.
  • Snake sees Liquid paracute out of the Hind D which lets Snake know that he's still alive.
  • During the second fight with Sniper Wolf, Otacon interupts during the fight with Wolf considering to shoot him and use him as bait like how she did with Meryl.
  • Vulcan Raven tells Snake all about FOXDIE and tells Snake about the DARPA Chief being Decoy Octopus during their fight.
  • Gray Fox does not use a laser cannon arm during his battle with Metal Gear Rex with him destroying the Radome by throwing his sword at it.
  • During his speech to Solid Snake on top of the destroyed Metal Gear Rex, Liquid brings up The Patriots and how they'll cover the Shadow Moses Incident up.
  • Instead of being knocked off Metal Gear Rex, Snake ends their fist fight by knocking Liquid onto a spike from the broken Rex that pierces through his chest.
  • Rather than chasing Meryl and Snake on a jeep, Liquid instead secretly follows them and holds them at gun point when they get outside.
  • Both Meryl and Otacon ride the snow mobile with Snake.

Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty[]

IDW published the Sons of Liberty comic book adaptation from 2006 to 2007, illustrated by Ashley Wood and written by Alex Garner. This version deviates from the game, where many scenes involving Raiden are substituted with Snake.

The majority of the dialogue from Metal Gear Solid 2 remains unchanged with only a few conversations being left out, such as those regarding gameplay controls and other schemes. Some new conversations have also been added. Flashbacks were also added giving some insight into Raiden's past during the First Liberian Civil War, showing him using a sword in combat and also showing an incident where Solidus Snake had him kill several POWs via decapitation as the former's "birthday present" to the latter. All of the characters from the game appear with the exception of Richard Ames.

Story differences between the game and the comic book[]

  • Rather than being shown in full at the beginning, the Tanker Incident of Metal Gear Solid 2 is portrayed through flashbacks at several points throughout the story. In addition, the Tanker Incident in the comic was stated to have occurred on March 22, while in the game, it was implied via the log on screen that the events of the Tanker Chapter occurred on August 8.
  • Instead of Snake having pictures taken of on the Tanker by a Cypher on the deck of the ship, Ocelot himself takes pictures of Snake while Snake is taking pictures of Metal Gear Ray.
  • Peter Stillman never fakes being unable to walk and never mentions the church bombing that haunted him in the game. He accompanies Raiden to the battle Fatman, and helps distract the mad bomber by throwing him a fake bomb and challenging him to defuse it, allowing Raiden to sneak up on him and knock him unconsious. While Stillman trying to defuse the bomb hidden on Fatman's body, Fatman wakes up and takes Stillman hostage, but Raiden saves him by shooting Fatman in the head, killing him. Stillman later attempts to defuse the C4 found in Strut H, but in doing so activates a second bomb hidden within it with not enough time for him to get away. A video pops up on a nearby monitor of Fatman, who calls out Stillman by name and gloats about how he had the last laugh.
  • Several scenes are inserted in which the spirit or persona of Liquid Snake enters Revolver Ocelot's mind and talks with him about how he is able to possess him and why he chooses to. The Sorrow also appears in one of these scenes, and chastises his son for being so easily controlled.
  • During Raiden's torture under Solidus Snake, he experiences a flashback to his past as a child soldier in Liberia that wasn't in the game. Raiden (then known as Jack the Ripper) is shown on his tenth birthday in 1990, cutting off the heads of ten captured Liberian terrorists on Solidus's orders, as the latter's "birthday present" to the former. Raiden also experienced a monologue about how, by that point due to the bleak nature of his situation, he became nihilistic by that age. Colonel Campbell and Rosemary (implied to be manifestations from Raiden's nanomachine base) attempt to tell Raiden that Solidus was lying, while Solidus informs him that this is indeed what happened. It then cuts back to onboard Arsenal Gear, where Solidus noted that Arsenal has a foreign agent onboard, and tells Ocelot to investigate.
  • Much more focus is put on Solid Snake, compared to the game where Raiden is at the center of most of the events on Big Shell. Snake is the one to fight Vamp in the purification chamber and escort Emma Emmerich to the computer room, though it is still Raiden who sniped Vamp while he has Emma hostage on the oil fence. Later during the fight atop Federal Hall, Solidus knocks Raiden out. Snake then appears, having failed to follow Liquid Ocelot in the stolen Metal Gear RAY, and challenges Solidus to a sword duel. Snake is victorious, stabbing Solidus and causing him to fall off the roof.
  • The zero issue featured a mission by Solid Snake that took place before the Tanker Incident where he infiltrated a train and then killed a soldier before exfiltrating it and causing it to explode. This chapter does not appear in the Digital Graphic Novel version.

Behind the scenes[]

Volume #1 of the Metal Gear Solid series is the only volume in the set that has variant covers. It also the only volume in both series to have the most variant covers, with a total of five.

Variant cover #1-C and #1-D of the Sons of Liberty series were never released in stores. Instead, they were only obtainable via IDW's official website for a limited time.

Volumes #10, #11 and #12 are the only volumes in the Sons of Liberty series to not have variant covers.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. ^ [1]
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