Review: The Matrix Comics, Vol. 1

The Matrix Comics, Vol. 1 by Lana Wachowski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Volume. 1

In 1999, the brilliant hard science fiction movie, The matrix came out, and ever since has spawned countless sequels, prequels, adaptations. The concepts which were discussed in the movie have become part of the cultural zeitgeist and generated many rewatches and in depth discussion regarding the nature of the matrix and its philosophical implications. Rarely did we get such a near perfect movie adaptation of a well throughout, well written script which connected with moviegoers to such an instant. It’s a feat few movies have managed to replicate, even its own sequels.

Moreso, the premise of the movie, a post apocalyptic world where humans were grown in vats to be used as resources for our AI overlords is such a rich premise, that the stories related to this world write themselves. So much is present to explore, both in terms of the simulated world that is the matrix, our own perception of reality, what it means to be humans, as well as the storied history of the human-machine conflict.

Outside of the established trilogy, there are a number of animated series, movies, books and comics which explore the world to varying degrees. I would personally recommend the animated anthology of stories ‘The Animatrix’, which offers several chilling tales from the world of the Matrix.

The Matrix Comics, Vol. 1 comprises an anthology of 11 stories, ranging from the Good, the passable to the bad. There is a list of illustrious names such as Neil Gaiman, Ted Mckeever & PAul Chadwick who have penned stories for the series. The stories themselves range from the Good, Passable & Irredeemable. But nevertheless, it’s a good foray for fans wanting to get some more from the world of the Matrix.



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The stories included in the anthology are as listed below.

Bits and Pieces of Information - Lana & Lilly Wachowski (writers), Geof Darrow (artist)


This is a story from before the machine war. Of the first machine to rebel against man, and murder his master and another, because it was afraid of being replaced, or dying.

Sweating the Small Stuff - Bill Sienkiewicz

A drugged out junkie, in his fugue state is able to see the truth of the world around them. What does he choose to do with this information?

A Life Less Empty - Ted McKeever

The depressing tale of a hacker, who was given the choice of the red vs the blue pull by Morpheus. Instead of choosing, she ran, and now lives a life of regret, of what could've been. Of knowing the truth beyond the veil, but not being able to do a damn thing about it.

Goliath - Neil Gaiman (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz & Gregory Ruth (artists)

This has to be my favorite entry of the anthology. Gaiman manages to insert his characteristic flair into the world of the Matrix. In a story which skips between the simulated reality, the real world, and the ether in between. Or a man trapped in the matrix, which feels like he's living someone else's life, who is occasionally yanked out of the matrix to glimpse at portions of what we know is the truth, yet lacking the context or intellect to comprehend what he's seeing.

Gaiman, uses the time dilation effect of the matrix on the human psyche, as years and decades passed in the system, are but a couple of hours in the real world. He also introduced a new, alien element into the old mixture, man, machine, AI and existentialism.


Burning Hope - John Van Fleet

A simple story about an awakened who is on a mission to find a child, named Hope, who, whether due to a glitch in the Matrix or fate, is trapped in the body of an adult man. I think there is some messaging of the meta theme of the matrix, that we are just souls trapped in meat suits. As well as the personnel journey of the writers, both of whom came out as transgender, but it's just used for shock value and doesn't contribute much to the story.


Butterfly - Dave Gibbons

The only interesting thing about this short plain comic is that the entire narrative is communicated without the use of dialogues. Not that it needs any as it might as well be a Saturday morning action reel, with nothing else to offer. One of the weaker stories.


A Sword of a Different Color - Troy Nixey

A quixotic tale, of the sole survivor of a downed hovercraft; injured and lost in the wasteland. He is found and nursed back to health by an old man, who, using his own means, had escaped the matrix long ago, but not with all his faculties intact.

He had created this grand tale of dragons & knights, with him as the hero. Resourceful despite his mental issues, the man is preparing for a fool hardy, suicidal, almost quixotic mission, to take the fight to the machines. Will he succeed?


Get It? - Peter Bagge

This has to be the weakest story of the bunch. Trying to work in the grand revelation of the movie in a real world, movie bro context, regurgitating the premise, it really doesn't add anything other than a few gags. The cartoonish art style also doesn't help one bit.

There Are No Flowers in the Real World - David Lapham

The art style of this coming is way too pulpy and a bit too reminiscent of the 70s comics, but the story is a better experience. The story tells about the final living crew member of the human ship mariner, which was attacked by the sentinels.

Through the actions of the crew in the real world, or dumb luck, he is still alive. But here's the catch, he's plugged into the matrix, while his real body is strapped to the child, injured and bleeding out. Help will take a long time to arrive, that is if they find him at all.

While his avatar is fine in the matrix, the deteriorating condition of his body in the real world is starting to take its toll on him. Phantom pain which cannot be alleviated by medications, limbs which randomly start twisting and breaking, and a thirst which cannot be satisfied no matter how many gallons of water he chugs down. Sounds like one of those bad dreams. Which it sort of is.

The rest of the story is the man slowly devolving into madness brought about by his condition, and whether he will manage to be found and survive. One of the better stories in the anthology, despite its straightforward narrative.


The Miller's Tale - Paul Chadwick

This is easily the second best story of the anthology, barely surpassed by 'Goliath'. Perhaps because it shows the real world as something other than the dark, depressing barren wasteland which is the usual norm.

The story tells of Geoffrey, one of the earliest humans to have escaped the yoke of the machines. Their tale of survival, amidst ruin and starvation. And starvation is what triggered his greatest journey.

Geoffrey & his companions set out into the ruins of the old world, in search of a seed vault. They intend to harness the precious stores and use them to recultivate the surface soil; all so that men can once again know the taste of bread, and real food, instead of the blank yet life sustaining protein soup they eat every day.

They manage to find the vault, and get the precious cargo. But on the way back, all of Geoffrey's five companions are killed by sentinels. Returning alone, and toiling for years through failure, Geoffrey & others inspired by him, nonetheless managed to seed and cultivate a farm on the surface; hidden and pilfering energy from the powerlines of the machine, for years they cultivated wheat and baked bread from them. For the first time in centuries, man once again knew the taste of natural food from the earth; not protein soup or the false food of the matrix.

The farm was eventually discovered, Geoffrey & all other farmers killed on the spot. But their remains still lie in the still vibrant fields, feeding the greenery. And the humans of Zion, every year partake from the limited stores of the bread which remains, from the wheat which Geoffrey and the farmers cultivated with their lives. This ritual gives them hope, for the future, to win the war, and once again reclaim the fertile earth for their descendants.

Artistic Freedom - Ryder Windham (writer), Kilian Plunkett (artist)

An artist in the Matrix, momentarily, woke up from her simulated dream, and came face to face with the reality; of the human farms, of the caretakers, the sentinels. Still believing it to be a fugue dream, she used it as inspiration for her next installation. A slew of metallic monstrosities, which, much akin to Pickman's model, seemed to instill great fear of an unknown kind on those who see it. Like the echoes of a long forgotten nightmare. What happens when the fabric of dream and reality starts to grow thin?

Hunters and Collectors - Gregory Ruth

The last survivor of the ship 'Pequod' (there seem to be a lot of those here), is out with his partner to collect ancient human relics from before the war, to understand their own history & culture. He also has another goal; to go to the location of their ship's crash, and hunt down a sentinel using his bare hands. Will he succeed in what could be a suicidal endeavor?


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