Horizon Zero Dawn: The Sunhawk #2 is the second issue of the Horizon Zero Dawn comic series. It was written by Anne Toole, illustrated by Ann Maulina, and was published on September 2, 2020.
Summary[]
A brand-new comic series based on the award-winning game by Guerrilla. Aloy and Talanah return in a new story set after the events of the game! Nature has reclaimed the planet. Awe-inspiring machines dominate the land, as humanity fights for survival on this new Earth. Co-created by one of the writers of the Horizon Zero Dawn game Ann Toole.[1]
Plot summary[]
One week in the past, Talanah and Aloy continue their pursuit of a black-armored Sawtooth, following a child's screams for help. They discover the machine chasing after a young Carja girl, and Aloy leaps in to attack the Sawtooth with her spear. Talanah supports her with Ranged weapons, using Fire Arrows after Aloy scans the machine with her Focus and recognizes its weakness. Despite the duo's attacks, the Sawtooth continues to chase the Carja girl, forcing her to climb a tree to avoid its reach. Talanah runs out of arrows, and uses Tripwires and Bombs against the machine until it finally collapses.
The Carja girl, still hiding in the tree, throws a rock at the downed machine, but refuses to come down. Deciding to give the child some time, Talanah and Aloy discuss the Sawtooth—Aloy states that these dark-armored machines come in many varieties, but consistently appear at locations where large numbers of machines have been killed. She warns Talanah that they will relentlessly pursue their targets, and that no one else aside from Talanah will likely be able to defeat one. As a parting gift, she provides Talanah with a bundle of arrows to replenish her empty supply.
In the present, Talanah finishes retelling this story to Amadis, reiterating that she must take down the black Clawstrider in the area, as she is the only one capable of defeating it. When Amadis objects due to her injuries, Talanah wryly replies that he will be coming with her, and passes him the same bundle of arrows she was given by Aloy.
The pair follow the tracks of the black Clawstrider, which lead north. Amadis points out that Kyran's hunting party will be heading to the northeast, meaning the Clawstrider will likely follow them there. He attempts to persuade Talanah to let him go alone and intercept the Clawstrider there, but she reminds him that they must catch up to the machine before it reaches the other hunters to prevent any further deaths. Begrudgingly, Amadis agrees to take the longer route and follow the machine's tracks.
After some distance, Talanah requests that they take a break due to her wounds. The two stop to rest in a field of Medicinal Wild Ember, next to a dilapidated manor. Talanah inquires about Amadis' relation to the manor, and he cryptically replies that the manor was a source of trouble, and he had hoped its ruin would bring peace to Rising Light. When Talanah presses further, he reveals that the manor was once home to a Carja noble who left to fight in the Red Raids, disgraced the family name, and left the manor to ruin. Talanah points out the presence of a large insignia burned on the manor's wall, indicating that the manor was defaced by the Kho Veriv, a powerful Carja family.
Although Talanah senses that Amadis is withholding something, their conversation is interrupted by their discovery of a corpse. Talanah identifies him as a member of the Burnished Sons, Kyran's mercenary group. The two deduce that the dead man was killed during a fight with a machine, and that the mercenaries successfully downed a Clawstrider, which they dragged away as proof that they had fulfilled the hunting contract. However, the distinct tracks of the black Clawstrider are still visible, following the hunters. Amadis points out that the hunters must be nearby, as the hunting contract was issued by a group of trappers located in Sunbreak Valley. He explains that the trappers were killing entire herds of Grazers in the pursuit of Metal Shards, which eventually attracted a Ravager, and later a Clawstrider. Recognizing that they were outmatched, the trappers contracted the Hunters Lodge to defeat the machine.
As Amadis and Talanah reach the valley, they struggle to discern the black Clawstrider's tracks among countless others. The two then overhear distant arguing, and move closer to eavesdrop. The conflict is between Kyran and a man named Duvad, the one responsible for the hunting contract Talanah carries. Talanah hears the conflict escalating, as Duvad and Kyran clash over whether the hunting contract has been completely fulfilled. Amadis suggests moving on to pursue the black Clawstrider, but Talanah contends that they must warn the others of the threat.
Before they can take any action, though, the black Clawstrider appears in the woods nearby, preparing to attack the assembled trappers and mercenaries accompanying Duvad and Kyran. When Talanah prepares to spring into action, Amadis refuses, intending to lay traps for the machine rather than engaging. Angrily, Talanah abandons him and jumps into the clearing, shouting a warning to the hunters. The black Clawstrider strikes, crushing one member of the Burnished Sons and ramming another. The machine corners Kyran, but Talanah intervenes, rescuing the hunter only to find herself disarmed by a blow from the Clawstrider's tail.
The machine charges as Talanah struggles to stand, but at the last moment Amadis appears, gaining the Clawstrider's attention with an arrow to its eye. He taunts the machine, luring it towards himself and away from Talanah, and successfully goads it into charging through a Shock Wire. While the machine falters, Talanah delivers a leaping kick, knocking the machine off the edge of a nearby cliff into the river below.
Talanah nearly sails off the cliff's edge herself, but Amadis grabs her hand and pulls her up to safety. Before the two can celebrate their victory, though, they find themselves targeted by the bows of the mercenaries; one of them calls out that the contract no longer matters, as they have just found a bigger bounty.
Media[]
Editions[]
- September 2, 2020; Titan Comics
- UPC 79361173567500211; Cover A; Junggeun Yoon
- UPC 79361173567500221; Cover B; Guerrilla Games
- UPC 79361173567500231; Cover C; Lois "Loish" van Baarle
- UPC 79361173567500241; Cover D; Stanley "Artgerm" Lau
- UPC 79361173567500251; Cover E; Peach Momoko
Cover gallery[]
References[]
| Comics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | Vol. 1: The Sunhawk | Issue #0 - Issue #1 - Issue #2 - Issue #3 - Issue #4 |
| Vol. 2: Liberation | Issue #1 - Issue #2 - Issue #3 - Issue #4 | |