The Last of Us: American Dreams
A prequel comic exploring Ellie's first meeting with Riley Abel.
Dark Horse Comics · via Wikipedia: The Last of Us: American Dreams · Fair use
The Last of Us: American Dreams is a four-issue comic book limited series tied to the video game *The Last of Us*. The story was co-written by the game’s creative director, Neil Druckmann, and cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks, with art by Hicks and colors by Rachelle Rosenberg. Dark Horse Comics released the issues from April to July 2013, and a collected edition followed in October of that year. Set in a post-apocalyptic United States overrun by zombie-like creatures infected by a mutated Cordyceps fungus, the comic acts as a prequel to the game. It follows a young Ellie and her first encounter with another teenage survivor, Riley Abel.
Dark Horse initially approached Druckmann about a tie-in comic while he was still working on the game. He was hesitant at first but agreed when he saw the publisher wanted to genuinely expand the characters and world rather than just produce a superficial spin-off. Work on the comic began during the game’s development, allowing the two projects to influence each other. Druckmann specifically requested Hicks after reading her comic *Friends with Boys* (2012), admiring how personal it felt and believing she could capture the game’s gritty tone. Hicks sent concept art to Dark Horse as a pitch, and they accepted. She was drawn to the project after reading about Ellie in the game’s script, noting that Ellie was an unusual character for a survival horror game—a tough teenage girl who wasn’t sexualized and was treated as an equal to her male counterpart. During development, Hicks had access to gameplay sequences, the script, and videos of the actors performing, which helped her illustrate the characters as real people rather than just concept art.
Ellie’s backstory was originally planned as a gameplay sequence in *The Last of Us* but was cut. When Dark Horse approached Naughty Dog about a comic, Druckmann saw the chance to tell that story. He chose Ellie as the main character because she was born and raised in the post-apocalyptic world, unlike Joel, who remembers life before the outbreak. This made Druckmann curious about how everyday actions would play out in such a world. Hicks enjoyed writing the comic, especially its humor. Druckmann let her design Riley—her appearance, personality, and most of her dialogue—saying it felt like a good split where Hicks owned Riley and he owned Ellie.
Quick Facts
- Limited
- y
- Publisher
- Dark Horse Comics
- Startmo
- April 3
- Startyr
- 2013
- Endmo
- July 31
- Issues
- 4
- Main Char Team
- Ellie
- Writers
- Neil Druckmann · Faith Erin Hicks
- Artists
- Faith Erin Hicks
- Letterers
- Clem Robins
- Colorists
- Rachelle Rosenberg
- Editors
- Jay Edidin · Brendan Wright
Facts from the source article.
Contexte et histoire
Dark Horse Comics approached Neil Druckmann, who was working on The Last of Us, to produce a tie-in comic book series. Druckmann was initially wary but agreed when he realized Dark Horse did not want to do something tangential. Work on the comic began during the game's development, allowing the stories of the two projects to integrate and influence each other. Druckmann requested webcomic artist Faith Erin Hicks as a collaborator after reading her comic Friends with Boys (2012) and appreciating how personal it felt. Hicks sent concept art to Dark Horse as a pitch; they accepted, and she became officially involved. Hicks was drawn to the project after reading about Ellie in the game's script, considering her an unusual character for a survival horror game—a tough teenage girl who was not sexualized and seemed the equal of her male counterpart. Hicks was given access to gameplay sequences, the game's script, and videos of the actors performing on set. Ellie's backstory was originally intended as a gameplay sequence within The Last of Us but was scrapped; when Dark Horse approached Naughty Dog, Druckmann had the opportunity to tell the story. Druckmann found Ellie ideal for the comic due to her birth and upbringing in the post-apocalyptic world. Hicks designed the character of Riley, including her physical appearance, characteristics, and most of her dialogue. The art style avoided replicating the game art; Hicks opted to draw it in her own style, feeling a hyper-realistic style would undermine the story.
Guide du lecteur
The Last of Us: American Dreams holds significance as an early expansion of The Last of Us universe, providing backstory for Ellie before the events of the game. Critics praised Druckmann's writing and Hicks's illustrations. The series was a commercial success; the first issue sold out, prompting a reprint due to high demand. The comic's art style, described as slightly cartoony, was a deliberate choice by Hicks to give the comic a unique feel and identity. The story focuses on Ellie's relationship with Riley Abel, a character created for the comic, and explores themes of survival and friendship in a post-apocalyptic setting. The comic was republished with new cover art in the Firefly Edition of The Last of Us Part I in 2022, and a version with different cover art is set to be published in the collector's edition of The Last of Us Complete in 2025. Its legacy includes influencing the game's narrative and providing a foundation for later adaptations of Ellie's story.
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- The first issue sold out and was reprinted on May 29, 2013, alongside the second issue.
- The comic's art style was intentionally different from the game art to give it a unique feel and identity.
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