Maximo

(Dreamwave, 2004)
™ and ©2003 Capcom

An offshoot of Maximo: Ghosts to Glory for the PlayStation2 (and released to coincide with the sequel, Maximo and the Army of Zin), Maximo: Beauty Is Only Sword Deep picks up where Ghosts to Glory left off, with Maximo continuing his quest to rescue the lovely Sophia. Unfortunately, the kingdom where Sophia is held captive is under the dark thrall of Skabb, an undead tyrant whose very existence wreaks havoc on the underworld. So Maximo’s buddy, Grim (as in The Reaper), who strives to keep order among the dead, joins the mission.

With its smooth controls, action-oriented gameplay, old-school sensibilities, and rock-solid camera angles, Ghosts to Glory (as well as Army of Zin) is one of the most purely enjoyable PS2 titles on the market. However, this comic-book counterpart fails as often as its videogame predecessor succeeds. The art doesn’t capture the quirky, yet charming, look of the game; the writing is simplistic; and the sword-swinging action sequences are muddled and hard to follow.

True, the rescue-the-princess formula found in this and so many other videogames may not inspire great writing, but Maximo himself doesn’t even come off as likable—as, for example, when he’s unnecessarily cruel to a poor, starving informant. Also, the themes the story tackles—such as the perils of pacifism—could have been taken a little more seriously.

— Brett Weiss

Jump to issue:

Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

January, 2004
Cover Price: $3.95
3 copies available from $1.20

Beau Smith

Alan Wang

#1 Variation A

Cover Price: $3.95
2 copies available from $4.00

Beau Smith

Alan Wang