For The Last of Us, artist Mark Scicluna created a Silver Age-inspired comic book cover that series co-creator Neil Druckmann praised.
Mark Scicluna, a former Rockstar Games illustrator, created comic book cover art for The Last of Us, impressed co-creator and director Neil Druckmann. Ellie from The Last of Us is a huge fan of science fiction comics, so having the brand’s origin narrative reinterpreted in Silver Age-style cover art makes perfect sense. Of course, The Last of Us has had success in the comic book genre, thanks to the four-issue miniseries The Last of Us: American Dreams, which ran from April to July 2013.
After Uncharted 2: Among Thieves wrapped production, a separate Naughty Dog team led by Neil Druckmann and Game Director Bruce Straley began work on the project that would eventually become known as The Last of Us. It rapidly grabbed the hearts and minds of millions upon its release in June 2013, offering as the fitting send-off for the PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, except for the well-received Left Behind story expansion released in early 2014, TLoU characters Ellie and Joel didn’t return until the conclusion of the PS4 generation with the release of The Last of Us Part II. So while it’s exciting to speculate on what a Part III might bring, it’s also worthwhile to look back at the franchise’s in-universe beginnings.
Illustrator Mark Scicluna shared an image of his The Last of Us fan art today, November 9, which displays a tragic scenario from the first game’s prologue in a Silver Age comic cover. The scene of Austin, Texas, in chaos, plays in the background, while Joel, Sarah, and Tommy seek to flee the turmoil in the foreground. The stark lines, bold font, and text is announcing “…The Night All Hell Broke Loose” harkens back to great pulp adventures from the 1950s and 1960s. And Scicluna’s work drew the attention of Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, who quoted Scicluna’s work with a startled expression emoji. In the next post, you can see Scicluna’s amazing work:
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) November 9, 2021
This would make a fantastic poster or t-shirt design. It also serves as a reminder of how nicely The Last of Us’ universe transfers to comics. Unfortunately, however, there is currently no indication that the series will return to the medium shortly.
For the time being, TLoU’s future in gaming is unknown. While Druckmann and Part II Co-Writer Halley Gross have previously stated that they discussed tale ideas for a third installment, such a story may never see the light of day.
The Last of Us is available for PlayStation platforms both digitally and in stores.
Source: Mark Scicluna via Neil Druckmann/Twitter
