Based on a classic arcade (and console) video game, Centipede isn’t exactly the timeliest adaptation, considering that the video game first released in 1981, and this first issue of the comic book series was published in 2017.

IDW and Atari briefly teamed up for a series of board games and comic books, adapting classic video games, in 2017. Centipede itself was adapted into a board game as well as this comic book (it wasn’t very good, however).

So, given that the board game wasn’t exactly great, how does the comic fare?

Surprisingly, this first issue is excellent.

We begin after the titular, giant insect has destroyed the world, and we accompany the last human, a hapless, not especially useful guy named Dale, as he attempts to survive and, ultimately, take revenge on the gargantuan beast and its big, bug friends.

Dale seems to address the reader directly, quite a bit; I did find this a bit odd at first, but soon got used to it. I think it may factor in to a plot point, sooner or later; we shall see.

As for the insects, arachnids and goo that were previously rendered as fairly simple, pixel creations in the original video game, they’re much more icky and detailed here. The artwork is great, with a nicely stylized feel and excellent monsters to face off against.

Dale himself comes across as a bit of an idiot, and despite the premise of him being the last person left alive, there’s a good deal of humour here too.

It’s a great start, and the Centipede of the title doesn’t get too over exposed in this opening chapter; it does seem like we’re going to see a lot more of it as the story continues though!