So the four issue adaptation of a classic, 1981 Atari game comes to a close here, and things end in incredibly bizarre fashion.

You’ve got to hand it to writer Max Bemis and artist Eoin Marron; handed the keys to Atari’s aging franchise, they could have very easily pushed out a lazy,  sci-fi action comic which simply used the arcade game’s premise to give readers a shoot ’em up style narrative.

Yet instead, they created a surprisingly touching story, with some genuinely trippy and far out sequences, which piled on the utterly bizarre twists and visuals to an astonishing degree.

This fourth issue twists and shapes the expected developments into something else entirely, even having you feel true empathy for the Centipede itself.

Which is remarkable, really. Who would have thought that an early 80s, blocky and near-abstract single screen shoot ’em up could provide such rich and emotionally affecting storytelling?

It’s been a wonderful surprise, and quite the eventful journey; whether or not you’re familiar with the source material (if you are, there’s some very clever visual nods to the game, which will also make you see it in a different light), it’s definitely a worthwhile read, and far from the lazily churned out cash in that you may be expecting.

You can buy the full series in Centipede Vol 1, from Amazon.