eSports, the Wild West of the sports world. Is that right? I’m not entirely sure — the last time I played a multiplayer online game was Neopets because I don’t do human interaction online. But as an emerging field, eSports provides a rich and flexible environment to tell new and inclusive stories. Renegade Rule does just that, in a graphic novel that is full of heart, humor, and a hell of a lot of fun.
Renegade Rule follows four friends in their twenties on an eSports team for the popular battlegame, Renegade Rule. Think like an Overwatch or a Team Fortress 2 style game. Amanda, Jessie, Tonya, and Sasha are the Manhattan Mist, and their chaotic team is rising up the ranks of this popular game. Amanda is hoping to win the local tournament in order to get much-needed prize money to help pay for her mom’s medical bills. The only problem is that she might have to go up against her crush, Gabby, who plays for the Brooklyn Sharpshooters and is a top-ranked player.
The story puts a fresh spin on a lot of the tried and true tropes of sports movies, including needing the prize money for a sick family member, facing off with your rival in the final match, believing in yourself against all the odds, overly serious “villains” (though no one is really an outright villain), and finding love on the battlefield. However, the backdrop is more fun, given the fantasy elements of the game and the inclusive world of the characters. We have people of different backgrounds, sexualities, gender presentations, and aesthetics in the story
I will say that we don’t get to spend as much time with Sasha as we do with the other members of the team, which I think is a shame. Everyone on the team subverts the typical tropes, and Sasha being the angry healer is especially hilarious in the first chapter. After that, she sort of goes off on her own, to flirt with cute people and hook up offscreen. I wish she’d gotten a little more of a character arc.
Jessie is the sniper, and rather than being a serious and aloof character, she’s off-the-walls energetic and chaotic. I love the interactions with her partner, who is super supportive and sweet, even showing up in a cheerleading outfit during the main competition. Jessie really gets to shine in the third chapter, when she had to save the team from the jaws of defeat with her quick, out-of-the-box thinking. I also love that her player ranking in “croissant” because of course, it is. There’s always a chance with this kind of character that they can annoying, and while I would not have minded less of her, she doesn’t wear on the nerves.
Tonya is far and away my favorite. A fandom queen, she’s the group’s tank but she’s more reserved and shyer than the typical brash personality behind the big guns. She’s perpetually single and terrible at the mingle, which I can relate to, and talks about AUs and canonicity and shipping. Amanda, on the other hand, is your more typically sports story hero and team captain, who clearly doesn’t know how talented she is and how much her competitors respect her.
The art by Sam Beck is absolutely fabulous. There’s so much that gets conveyed in the characters’ expressions and movements, like in the one scene where you see the girls’ various parents in the final of the tournament. All of the costumes match the characters’ personalities, the backgrounds are detailed and engaging, and the bright colors and panel composition really draw the eye to every scene. There’s also this excellent fluidity to each other their motions, giving every person a distinct feel. Seriously, this is a pleasure to read and I found myself going back to look at all the smaller features I might have missed.
Ben Kahn and Rachel Silverstein have done a phenomenal job with the script. I’ve already talked about how engaging the core characters are, but the dialogue flows well. Every character feels fleshed out and genuine, and not just name-dropping things “the kids might know” cause it’s cool. I love how even the minor characters have clearly defined personalities (shout-out to witchy Lydia!) and that the story pulls in all of those tropes we love without being too cheesy.
I would definitely be excited to see a second volume that further explores the world of eSports. It appears Amanda is going to be jettisoned into fame for going toe-to-toe with Gabby, and there’s more than a small hint that Tonya and Sasha have some unexplored feelings to deal with. Not to mention it’ll be cool to see other teams and their strategies.
Want to hear more about Renegade Rule? Listen to Matt and Sara share their thoughts:
Renegade Rule is available anywhere comics are sold on June 2, 2021 from Dark Horse Comics.
Renegade Rule was provided to us by Ben Kahn. For more information on how we review comic books and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
Summary
Renegade Rule is an inclusive and action-packed read, perfect for anyone who loves a good sports movie, with excellent art and smart writing that elevates from a simple story of friendship to a world of possibilities.
