SWORDQUEST #5

“Where One Game Ends….A New Adventure Begins”
Writers: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims
Artist: Ghostwriter X

Konrad Juros wants to know what happened to Peter Case. He has the twins and Terry captive. The activation of the sword has brought back some magic which Konrad can now use. He creates a strand of light and pokes out the eye of Terry. Terry remains defiant but luckily Peter comes back and stabs Konrad with the sword. Konrad dissolves into a red light. Peter tells how he found himself on Atara. The last of the hooded ones tells him that he is the reincarnated soul of Rulero and can free Atara from Tyrannus. So Peter comes back to save his friends. The police show up but Peter uses the sword to transport them back home to Chicago. Peter decides to spend his last moments of life to free Atara. The Perez twins join him and together they enter the portal to Atara.

So the ending of Swordquest was quite satisfying. We get to find out Peter is the reincarnated soul of the hero. That his obsession with the Swordquest game was actually his spirit continuing the quest. He reconciles with his friends and defeats the evil wizard. It also left it open for more adventures. I wouldn’t mind seeing them but I think this series didn’t do so well. Dynamite has seemed to drop its planned Atari based series. Which is a shame since I loved the idea of exploring this nostalgic blast from the past. Still you never know what the future holds.

SWORDQUEST #4

“Final Level”
Writers: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims
Artist: Ghostwriter X

Peter and his friends plan their heist of the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery from the video game expo. Like any plan it usually doesn’t go as planned. First off Konrad Juros acolytes take Alvin hostage so Amy will behave. Then Peter meets Konrad himself and goads Peter into hitting him. This gets Peter thrown out. But Peter isn’t deterred and steals a senor Bagel costume to get back in.

At the panel that Amy is giving Konrad comes to present the sword. Peter is discovered and security come to arrest him. Amy knocks the sword out of Konrad’s hands and Peter manages to pick it up. There is bright flash and Peter disappears with the sword. He finds himself transported to another world.

The big heist for the sword was a fun story. Terry the man-bun guy is a total fruitcake and gets distracted. Amy and Alvin are threatened by Konrad’s hooded acolytes with guns. Peter Case the chosen by the sword manages to continue and get the sword. He finds himself in the mythical world of Swordquest. So a charming story that I look forward to seeing how it ends.

SWORDQUEST #3

“Stage Two Start”
Writers: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims
Artist: Ghostwriter X

Peter, Alvin, Amy and the mysterious man-bun who is named Terry are heading to California. They have to get through the TSA but arrive safely in L.A. The first stop is the headquarters of Conjure Software and a meeting with Conrad Juros. The receptionist can’t get them a meeting until Peter tells him they are there to see the Dark Arcade. Well that works and Mr. Juros greets them all smiles. He shows the Dark Arcade which has all the failed video games from the eighties. The one they are most interested in is Airworld.

Juros leaves Peter alone as the others leave. Juros tells them that the game was never finished and impossible to win. Peter comes out a few minutes later looking dejected and the group leaves. Later Juros discovers Peter won the game. Terry gave Peter a copy of the Airworld comic which had all the clues and Peter easily won. So Juros gets his corporate board together and they don sinister robes. For the sword has chosen its champion and Peter Case must die.

Well this series just keeps getting weirder and weirder. It has plenty of humor like Peter joking about milking his condition for a best case scenario of six months. Or Terry who has a bandolier of burner phones and his response that he doesn’t want the dark sinister forces to monitor him gets a special TSA body search. There is a certain surreal feel to this story. The evil wizard who masquerades as a friendly video game designer. The stuffy board members who can change into evil cultist types. You still wonder if everything is real or just a figment of the characters crazy imagination. Quite an engaging story.

SWORDQUEST #2

“Atara!”
Writers: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims
Artist: Ghostwriter X

Long ago four worlds existed. Earthworld, Fireworld, Waterworld and Airworld. These worlds were unstable so were united into the world of Atara. Yet the four tribes of these worlds were constantly at war with one another. One day a thief Rulero stole the four talismens of the factions and melted them into a sword. This allowed him to be king of Atara. He had twin sons Tarr and Tyran. Tarr the first was more popular and made the heir. This angered Tyran who went to the dark wizard Konjuro for help in killing his brother and his two twin nieces. Then he killed his father but could not make the sword’s magic work. The tyrant Tyrannis the First had Konjuro take the sword to Earth to hide it because a prophecy stated that the true heir would use it to kill Tyrannis.

So man-bun tells the story. Amy has Peter leave man-bun with her brother Alvin so she can talk some sense into Peter. When they return Alvin has decided he wants to help steal the sword which really freaks out Amy. Man-bun says that to win the sword Peter must finish the fourth challenge but Airworld was never made. Amy says she heard one of the developers Konrad Juros is rumored to have the game. Man-bun also confirms that Konrad is the dark wizard Konjuro.

Well this issue had a ton of revelations. We get the story of the real world that inspired the Swordquest games. Then the second part is how this Man-bun was able to convince the two guys and reluctantly Amy to help steal the sword. The whole thing does sound nuts but I find it quite entertaining. A very offbeat series.

SWORDQUEST #1

“Realworld”
Writers: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims
Artist: Ghostwriter X

The World Video Museum gets a call from a mysterious man with a man-bun about the Ultimate Sword of Sorcery that is on display. He finds out that it will be on display in Las Vegas at the gaming Expo. He then throws away his phone and takes off on his motorcycle. Peter Chase has come to a book signing by his old childhood friend Amy Perez. She wrote a book on video games. He also meets his other friend Alvin. In a flashback we see how the two broke up over Peter’s attempt to hold his hand during a movie.

Peter came to Amy to get help in stealing the sword. With her connections she could get him into the Expo. Naturally his friends think he’s nuts. Just then the mysterious man shows up saying that the sword wants Peter.

So this first issue is establishing the main characters. We get a glimpse of how Peter got out of touch with them. That Peter is kind of nuts in needing to steal this sword before he dies in six months. Then there is this mysterious man with the man-bun. Didn’t know there was a World Video game museum. I wonder if its real and where it is. Anyway the first issue has got my interest.

SWORDQUEST #0

“Game Over.”
Writers: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims
Artist: Ghostwriter X

Peter Case is a 45 year old office worker with a bad cough. One night going home he finds his apartment on fire. After rescuing the neighbor’s dog he is taken to the hospital and finds out he has serious lung disease. He only has six months to live. So with no where else to go he goes back to his mother who puts him up in his old room. A room that she was renting out as a B&B and now a very floral one. But it does have his stuff in the closet including his old Atari 2600 console and games. He reminisces about his childhood friends the Perez twins and how they tried to win the Swordquest contest and the ultimate prize The Sword of Ultimate Sorcery. Over breakfast he talks with his mother and she makes a comment that she was so upset that she wanted to steal the sword for Peter. This gets Peter to thinking.

“Swordquest Realworld”
By Kevin Ketner

An article on the real world background to the Swordquest video series and the real prizes involved. Includes a sketch gallery of the major characters for the series.

The introductory issue of the first Atari based property that Dynamite would do. An interesting choice to set in the real world instead of the fantasy one the game created. I remember the first game and didn’t get into it. Still I never really knew about the kooky prizes until now. Apparently they gave away real gold and gem prizes worth tens of thousands of dollars. Prizes that you had to sell so you could pay off the taxes.

So they started off this series with a character I can relate to. I loved the Atari games when I was a kid and now work inside a cubicle and am getting older. I am interested in seeing where this goes.

SWORDQUEST #3

“Waterworld”
Writers: Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway
Artists: George Perez & Dick Giordano

The twins Torr and Tarra find themselves on Waterworld. They see a crown which then disappears and the next moment a giant water spout transports them. Torr gets tangled up in seaweed but manages to find a skeleton with a helmet that lets him breath underwater. He then has to fight a giant octopus. Tarra makes it to the surface but finds the skeleton that Torr found floating entangled in Torr’s armor. Thinking her brother dead she lays down and cries.

Konjuro and Tyrannus observe this. Konjuro manages to cast a spell that makes the twins forget. So Torr is chased by sharks to an underwater city and frees the beautiful Aquana who was imprisoned in a giant clam. Tarra is rescued by an ice ship called the Ice Queen. It’s handsome Captain Frost takes her in. The thief Herminius has also been rescued and plots against Tarra. Frost is hunting the whales because they are allies of Aquana. So a battle begins between Aquana and Frost. Her whales and sharks against depth charges. Eventually the Serpent Unspeakable a giant sea snake that breaths flame is unleashed.

Both Aquana and Frost are injured and the amnesiatic Torr and Tarra fight. Eventually they remember that they are brother and sister and unite. They also find the crown and split it in two. They give one half to Aquana and Frost so they will rule Waterworld jointly. Then a sword appears and takes them off the world. Konjuro and Tyrannus plan to personally go to Airworld to deal with the twins.

The final comic of the short lived Atari game series. Sadly they never released the planned fourth cartridge so there was never the final epic conclusion to the quest. It would be nice to get that final issue of Airworld. Maybe Dynamite will do it some day. This was a very enjoyable series. For a mini-comic included in a video game the writers and artists put forth a worthy effort. It had an excellent story and could have stood on its own as a series.

SWORDQUEST #2

“Fireworld!”
Writers: Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway
Artists: George Perez & Dick Giordano

Torr and Tarra continue to fall into the Fireworld. The evil wizard Konjuro watches and shows his master Tyrannus where the twins are. We get a flashback to the two twins growing up. How the evil captain of the guard cruelly runs over their adopted parents because they got in his way. Tyrannus tries to communicate with the twins and offer to share the kingdom with them if they will abandon the quest. Wisely the two refuse.

So they arrive in Fireworld a world filled with volcanoes, flame and rivers of lava. The heat gets to the twins and they angrily split up to search for the sword. Torr manages to get help from one of the mysterious wizards and finds out he must find the Chalice of Light. He finds some armor and has to fight fire demons with ice arrows he finds. Then he fights a lizard in a pool of water. His sister also has to fight an octopus thing and a firebird. Eventually they unite and find the chalice. Herminius the thief has also found it and moved on. The twins are drawn into the chalice which is the third world they must visit Waterworld.

The quest continues with Fireworld. I always wondered what that adventure was and now I know. Another excellent story with encounters with strange creatures in a magical world. We get some more background on the twins and the evil Tyrannus. What a name to name a kid. No wonder he turned into a tyrant. Obviously the story was meant as clues to the Atari game. These little mini comics had some quality story and art. Glad I finally get to read it.

SWORDQUEST #1

“Earthworld”
Writers: Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway
Artists: George Perez & Dick Giordano

In a kingdom two twins Torr and Tarra are thieves. They are also the children of a warrior named Tarr. Soon after their birth the warrior and his wife were summoned before the new king Tyrannus. Tyrannus was given a prophecy by his wizard Konjuro that the twins would depose him when they grew up and sentenced them to death. Tarr held off the king’s warriors long enough for his wife to escape with the twins.

The wife went to an old friend and his wife. She gave them the twins to raise and the wife wrapped up some vases and jumped off the cliff making it look like she killed herself and the twins. So now the twins decide to steal from the wizard Konjuro. They successfully break in and steal a gem. The wizard then sends a demon after them but they manage to escape it. They then break the gem and release two mystical beings that give them a quest. Find the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery. A chasm opens in the ground leading to the first world they must pass Earthworld.

Another thief Herminius is also looking for the sword and follows. The twins split up and explore the twelve chambers of this world. Tarr has a run in with Taurus the bull and steals his key. Tarra meets up with the friendly Virgo and gets a star that can transport her. The two have various run ins with other zodiac characters. Some friendly and some hostile. Herminius manages to turn some of the zodiac beings against the twins. Finally the two twins meet and the star from Virgo transports them to the center chamber with the sword. The are given smaller swords as the main one blasts a hole in the floor and descents to the next level. Torr and Tarra must continue on into Fireworld with Herminius following and the evil wizard observing them.

So this was a mini-comic from the old Atari game Swordquest. I found the comic much more interesting then the game. It was a puzzle game that you could win some expensive item that you would have to sell to pay the taxes. Never figured the game out but just loved the comic that came with it. Thanks to Dynamite they have released all three mini-comics so I can find out the continuing adventures of Torr and Tarra.