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A Second Chance at Sarah
The front cover of the Dark Horse Comics release of A Second Chance at Sarah.
Publication information
PublisherApe Entertainment
Dark Horse Comics
FormatOne-shot
Genre
Publication dateFebruary 24, 2010
No. of issues1
Main character(s)Johnny
ISSN1616554231
Creative team
Created byNeil Druckmann
Written byNeil Druckmann
Artist(s)Joysuke Wong
Letterer(s)Michael Thomas
Editor(s)Kevin Freeman
Brendan Wright

A Second Chance at Sarah is a fantasy graphic novel written by Neil Druckmann, with illustrations by Joysuke Wong. The novel was originally published by Ape Entertainment on February 24, 2010; Dark Horse Comics re-released the novel on August 20, 2014. The book follows Johnny, who makes a deal with a demon to be transported to the past in order to save his dying wife, who fell into a coma upon the birth of their son.

Druckmann wrote the story in his spare time while working at Naughty Dog. He considers A Second Chance at Sarah to be a personal story, focusing on the characters instead of the supernatural elements. Druckmann worked on several unsuccessful comic book ideas and pitches, before collaborating with Wong on A Second Chance at Sarah. Wong's work on the book was extensive, as she refined and extended Druckmann's initial concepts and ideas. The two worked on the book for over a year. The book received generally positive reviews. Critics particularly praised Wong's illustrations, as well as Druckmann's writing and character development.

Production history

A 35-year-old man with curly black hair talking into a microphone, looking at something to the left of the camera.
A Second Chance at Sarah was conceived and written by Neil Druckmann, who collaborated with artist Joysuke Wong.

Writer Neil Druckmann considers A Second Chance at Sarah to be a "personal story" that he "wanted to tell".[1] As a child, he was always interested in creating a comic book, and his ideas developed as he aged.[2] The novel was inspired by Druckmann's interest in traveling back in time to meet his wife at a younger age, especially after he looks at pictures of her. "There's something cute and poetic about that idea," Druckmann explained.[3] This idea itself was inspired by time travel stories, particularly the Back to the Future film series (1985–90).[3]

Druckmann felt that A Second Chance at Sarah is "a love story driven by grounded characters", not about the demons or time travel featured in the story; he considered the latter a "secret weapon" to attract more readers, and found it necessary to advance the story.[2] Druckmann considered the characters "interesting, yet flawed", and he and Wong worked to "portray the subtlety of emotions".[2] Druckmann felt that he shares many similarities with the novel's protagonist Johnny, and that "a lot of Johnny's flaws and fears are based on [his] own shortcomings".[3] He used the character to deal with his own fears of adulthood, and of losing his wife, considering Johnny an "exaggerated version" of himself.[2]

Prior to working on A Second Chance at Sarah, Druckmann developed a different comic book pitch for over a year, writing, drawing and lettering in full detail. When the pitch was rejected, Druckmann decided to work with an artist to finish a new pitch in a shorter time. He contacted artist Joysuke Wong, who agreed to collaborate; Druckmann called the collaboration the "easiest decision" he made while working on the comic,[3] as he was very impressed by her artwork.[4] In collaboration with each other, Druckmann and Wong developed the pitch—the first six pages of the story—in about two months. Druckmann and Wong worked on the comic for over a year prior to completion.[3] Druckmann created a schedule for his work on the comic, primarily working at night due to his job at Naughty Dog, where he was working on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009). Druckmann ensured that most of the writing and thumbnails were complete prior to crunch time on Uncharted 2, as he felt that "there's no way" that he could have completed both projects simultaneously.[4]

Five images, side-by-side, displaying the same scene of a man punching a mirror and then putting on a shirt. The first image is a rough sketch, followed by two refined black-and-white images, followed by two final colored images.
The process that most of the artwork underwent throughout development: Druckmann's thumbnail drawings, followed by Wong's sketching, refining, blocking, and painting.

Druckmann originally wrote A Second Chance at Sarah as a three-issue series, but narrowed it to a single graphic novel for ease of publishing. Druckmann also felt that there was a possibility that a first issue would not be successful enough to justify printing more.[4] While writing the script for the comic, Druckmann drew thumbnail pages in order to visualize the flow of the story. During the writing period, he often switched between the thumbnails and the scripts. "Having the two influence each other keeps the process fresh and organic," said Druckmann.[5] When Druckmann completed the script and thumbnails, he sent them to Wong, who interpreted the writing into her own style by sketching rough pages, ensuring the compositions work well.[6] She then refined the pages, conveying the subtlety in the emotions of the characters; Druckmann and Wong wished to avoid for any scenes to feel melodramatic, in both writing and art.[7] Following this, Wong added color to the pages. Druckmann expressed the importance of the colors to separate the different time periods of the story, as well as mirroring Johnny's emotional journey.[8] The final step for Wong was painting, which involved defining details; Druckmann said that painting the artwork "[transforms] the rigid feel of the earlier versions to the unrestrained painterly look ... in the final pages".[9]

When seeking potential publishers for the comic, Druckmann contacted Ape Entertainment due to his fondness of "the quality and the variety of their books".[4] After submitting the pitch, Druckmann was contacted by then-CEO David Hedgecock, who was enthusiastic about publishing the book despite the marketing challenges. Druckmann felt that the book "wouldn't be as good" without the efforts of Hedgecock, COO Brent Erwin and editor Kevin Freeman.[4] The book was re-published by Dark Horse Comics on August 20, 2014.[10]

Plot

After the birth of their son, Johnny's wife Sarah falls into a coma. Johnny soon discovers her talisman, which she had previously used to make a deal with a demon to save the life of her sister Rachel, unaware to Johnny. In order to save Sarah, Johnny also makes a deal with the demon, and is transported back to 1995, where he possesses the body of his younger self.[11] He meets a younger Sarah,[12] who invites him to a party.[13] As they travel to the party, Johnny informs Sarah of the situation, but she dismisses it as a pick-up attempt.[14] When they arrive, Johnny sees Rachel with the talisman and tells her to dispose of it; without responding, she ends the party.[15] After she leaves, Rachel is involved in a car accident, and is transported to hospital.[16] Sarah, who now believes Johnny's story,[17] goes to make a deal with the demon in order to save Rachel. However, upon discovering that the demon demands the sacrifice of Johnny and Sarah's child, Sarah destroys the talisman, and Rachel dies.[18] These events alter those of the present day: Sarah never fell into a coma, instead living normally with Johnny and their son.[19]

Reception

The comic's artwork, with illustrations by Joysuke Wong, received particular praise for its subtlety, and appropriateness to the story.

A Second Chance at Sarah received generally positive reviews. Praise was particularly directed at Wong's illustrations, as well as Druckmann's writing and character development, where were said to compliment each other.[20]

Reviewers praised the comic's artwork. Ellner of The Pullbox called it "the perfect coupling to Druckmann's story", stating that Wong "has a firm grasp of the intricacies of visual story telling".[20] Following the Nerd's Bowling felt that, through the artwork, the book "truly comes to life".[21] Paltridge of PopGeeks praised the "rough and sketchy" look to the artwork, and found that it was fitting to the story.[22] ComicBuzz's Murray wrote that the artwork has a "beautiful flow", praising the use of colors.[23] Lopez of Fanboy Comics called the artwork "stunning", comparing it to the Fables series (2002–15).[24] Jef Fox, writing for I Smell Sheep, found the artwork "breathtaking", and felt that it evoked feelings of nostalgia.[25] HorrorTalk's James Ferguson echoed similar remarks, praising the subtlety of Wong's artwork and naming it "clean and pure".[26]

The comic's story also received positive reactions. Following the Nerd's Dave Bowling called it "extremely well-written", commending its ability to attract readers and make them empathize with the characters.[21] Peter Paltridge of PopGeeks declared the story "even better" than Druckmann's work on The Last of Us (2013).[22] Greg Ellner of The Pullbox praised the story, noting a particular connection with the character of Johnny early in the story.[20] Jacqueline Lopez of Fanboy Comics found that the "character complexity is a bit lacking", but felt that the pacing of the story is helpful in understanding plot points.[24] Doreen Sheridan, writing for I Want My Two Dollars!, felt that the "dialogue is a little clunky, but it's a satisfying read nonetheless".[27] ComicBuzz's Ellen Murray criticized the short length of the story, commenting on the lack of time dedicated to providing depth for the characters or plot.[23]

References

Bibliography
  • Druckmann, Neil (w), Wong, Joysuke (a), Freeman, Kevin (ed). A Second Chance at Sarah (February 24, 2010). Ape Entertainment.
Notes
  1. ^ Siegel, Lucas (June 2, 2011). "UNCHARTED Territory: Behind Game Writing w/ Neil Druckmann". Newsarama. Purch. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Ellner, Greg (April 2, 2010). "Interview with Neil Druckman – A Second Chance At Sarah". The Pullbox. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e Langshaw, Mark (February 9, 2010). "Neil Druckmann talks 'A Second Chance At Sarah'". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e LeTendre, Brian (January 19, 2010). "Druckmann Gets "A Second Chance at Sarah"". Comic Book Resources. Boiling Point Productions. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 84
  6. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 85
  7. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 86
  8. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 87
  9. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 88
  10. ^ "A Second Chance At Sarah HC Review Roundup". Dark Horse Comics. August 19, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 6–9
  12. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 13
  13. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 20
  14. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 32–34
  15. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 60–63
  16. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 67
  17. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 64
  18. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 77–78
  19. ^ Druckmann 2010, p. 79–81
  20. ^ a b c Ellner, Greg (August 11, 2014). "Pullbox Review: A Second Chance at Sarah". The Pullbox. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b Bowling, Dave (August 20, 2014). "FTN reviews A Second Chance at Sarah". Following the Nerd. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ a b Paltridge, Peter (December 31, 2014). "The Last Of Us Creator Wrote A Book, And It's Just As Good". PopGeeks. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ a b Murray, Ellen (August 20, 2014). "A Second Chance at Sarah Review". ComicBuzz. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ a b Lopez, Jacqueline G. (August 19, 2014). "'A Second Chance at Sarah:' Advance Hardcover Review". Fanboy Comics. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Fox, Jef (August 18, 2014). "Comic Review (ARC): A Second Chance at Sarah (HC) by Neil Druckmann". I Smell Sheep. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Ferguson, James (August 22, 2014). "A Second Chance at Sarah". HorrorTalk. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Sheridan, Doreen (October 7, 2014). "A Second Chance At Sarah". I Want My Two Dollars!. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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