Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1 revisits the original game with an untold Aloy and Erend story

Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1
(Image credit: Titan Comics)

Get your Horizon Zero Dawn fix with a new untold tale from the time period of the original game with Titan Comics' Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1. Debuting July 28, this in-continuity story explores Aloy and Erend's friendship further, while also elaborating on some events from the game (including that memorable ending).

Check out this eight-page preview of Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1:

Aloy and Erend are discussing the death of his sister Ersa, Captain of the Carja Vanguard. Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation will delve into how exactly she died, as well as the full story on the liberation of Meridian.

And of course, lots of machines will be destroyed along the way. It is Horizon Zero Dawn, after all.

And to stay as true to the video game as possible, Horizon Zero Dawn's narrative director Ben McCaw and writer Anne Toole are returning to co-write Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation. They'll be joined by a new series artist, Elmer Damaso, who recently drew Titan Comics' Robotech series.

The first issue of the original Horizon Zero Dawn comic book series was a hit - just like the game. It sold over 60,000 copies in the first four weeks of release back in August 2020, making it the 11th top-selling title of the month with industry's largest distributor, Diamond.

"All of us who worked on the story – myself, Anne Toole, Annie Kitain, and Ari Martinez – feel humbled by the praise the series has received," said McCaw in the announcement of Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1. "During the writing process, we could only hope that fans would connect with the characters the same way we do, and it’s gratifying to hear that we succeeded."

Peach Momoko returns to draw the main cover to Horizon Zero Dawn: LIberation #1, and her primary cover is joined by variant covers from Harvey Toibao, Ann Maulina, Adrian Wilkins, a blank cover, and Aloy concept art from Guerilla Games as a wraparound cover. Check them all out here:

Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1 goes on sale on July 28. A collection of the first arc, titled Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk, is scheduled for November 24.

Keep apprised of all the news, notes, and release dates with the next game with our Horizon Forbidden West guide. 

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)

Read more
Cover art for Assassin's Creed Mirage: A Soar of Eagles.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: A Soar of Eagles is a new prequel comic about the young Fuladh defending his homeland
A screenshot from Horizon Zero Dawn showing Aloy aiming her bow.
The Horizon curse is far from over as PlayStation's Zero Dawn multiplayer spin-off might bump into Elden Ring once again in 2025
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
A Horizon Zero Dawn movie is on the way from Sony, and it's in the "early stages" now
An alien attacks.
Xenomorphs have taken the island as Alien: Paradiso nears its endgame
Marvel Rivals characters with a background of Marvel Comics covers
Marvel Rivals: 10 comics that are perfect for fans of the smash hit hero shooter
Ultimate X-Men #11
Peach Momoko's Ultimate X-Men just revealed a surprising comic book connection to a top-tier Marvel Rivals character
Latest in Comics
King Kong wrestling a giant squid monster
The Monsterverse expands with Return to Skull Island, a comic tying into Netflix's King Kong-centric animated series
Close up on Emma Frost's face as she sits on a throne on the cover of Emma Frost: White Queen #1
"Bow down to the White Queen" as Emma Frost gets her own X-Men solo comic that flashes back to her time as a villain
The Biker Mice From Mars.
Oni Press's new Biker Mice From Mars comic will take a "hard-hitting approach to the stories" and "definitely won't pull any punches"
Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #12
Gwen Stacy and Loki team-up for a cosmic adventure in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider #12
An alien attacks.
Xenomorphs have taken the island as Alien: Paradiso nears its endgame
Cover art from Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #1.
13 years after his New 52 series ended, cult DC hero Resurrection Man is back in Quantum Karma
Latest in News
Daredevil recap: The Defenders
Marvel fans are discussing which of the Netflix series characters would have survived the Blip
A misty, forested mountainside in Prologue: Go Wayback!
PUBG creator's wilderness survival game actually draws inspiration from an unexpected place - a whole raft of zombie games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, and Left 4 Dead
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil fans are wondering if Born Again season 2 will set up a darker comic book arc for Matt Murdock
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025
Balatro screenshot showing an assortment of card packs
Balatro creator initially considered a Steam release in part to help "get a game developer job somewhere," and after 5 million sales I'd say he found one