The very first Resident Evil is undoubtedly the game that left the strongest mark on me. So, let’s delve into my little collection of publications surrounding this memorable release.
Yes, this post will be pure joy. First for me, and hopefully for you. It’s about displaying my loot, this precious bounty, which has no other ambition than to adorn this special bond with the very first Resident Evil (1996) by Capcom.
This is the characteristic of a fan—to want to reproduce, often beyond reason, that initial sensation we experienced when we discovered something that we estimate for the rest of our lives. This attempt to rediscover the initial emotion is indeed futile, but along the path of increasingly rugged searches, we might stumble upon miraculous treasures.
My Glorious Copy of Resident Evil
It’s here, in a sorry state. Obviously, lending it to a friend in college resulted in it coming back to me without the manual. You can also see all the traces of being carried in a school bag, the successive moves… This box has a history, and it shows!
The Official “V-Jump” Strategy Guide
Let’s get straight to the serious stuff. Here’s the superb official strategy guide, released under the auspices of the legendary magazine V-Jump, which I found in a video game store… in Paris. I particularly like this object for its layout, typical of the 90s, which imposes itself more as a true attack on symmetry or any convention of readability. It’s everywhere, and the spotlight is on the magnificent character design illustrations from the game. A true gem!
The True Story Behind Biohazard
I remember that this book had early on in the French Resident Evil fan community, been scanned and translated, widely shared on various forums. The book was presented as a sacred book, especially at a time when ordering a book from Japan to France was almost impossible. At least totally impossible for a young boy without purchasing power like me.
So, what about this book? It’s actually a “companion” book to the Saturn release of the game, which tells the origins of the mansion, which, as we learn in this illustrated tale, is named Spencer Mansion, after its architect. No mention of this story will be made in the game, but it will be fully incorporated in the “rebirth” version of the game. It must be said that in the meantime, fans worldwide had fallen in love with this “origin story”, which, it must be said, was quite remarkable.
The Official “Light Novel”
Okay, I’m cheating a bit. This item is more related to the release of the second installment of Resident Evil, but since we see Spencer Mansion in the intro, I’ll make an exception. Because in truth, this “light novel” published by Jump was released only two days after Resident Evil 2, and offers a 100% original story where bio-terrorist threats are developed on a fictional island.
My current level of Japanese doesn’t allow me to fully enjoy this story, so I content myself with the superb illustrations and the few manga pages at the beginning, of high quality!
The Official Novelization
This is the official novelization of the first episode, written by the one and only novelist SD Perry. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read this book. It’s also my very first Amazon order, which led me to bring this book from the United States.
When the book arrived, I must admit that I was actually expecting to find a comic book, of which I had read a few panels in a magazine. But… those few panels were actually the online “comic strip” (see below).
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy is therefore the first book in English that I perused. My level at the time was quite rudimentary and did not allow me to follow the plot properly. But, knowing the game inside out, I slowly but surely managed to piece it all together.
The Marvel Comic Book
A little treasure that displays at obscene prices on eBay, this comic, though free when it was released in April 1996, allows you to rediscover the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team as they venture into the Spencer Mansion.
A true prequel, this little comic book published by Marvel and Capcom has never been reissued, despite its decent quality and faithfulness to the original product. Furthermore, its release was purely confined to the American market, so even the Japanese audience couldn’t enjoy it.
(For further info on this unique comic book, here’s an excellent article from Comfort Food Comics with interviews from authors and artists. English only.)
The Promotional Comic Strip
And here, I admit, I’m quite proud. Because yes, I managed to save the entirety of this very small comic series published on an official Resident Evil website in the late 1990s. This mini-series “presented by Jim Lee” never reappeared and is not featured on any fan site, nor obviously on any official site.
Which is a shame, because this mini-series drawn by Ryan Odagawa is of first quality, both in drawing, composition, and color. We dream that a whole volume could adapt Chris and Jill’s adventure in its entirety with a similar style.
(A similar series exists for Resident Evil 2, but it remains untraceable).
