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The first trailer for The Last of Us was released last month with a 2023 release date, and many fans are excited to see the hit PlayStation videogame come to life on the small screen. With the story focusing on Joel, a hardened veteran of the infected apocalypse, traveling with the immune Ellie through America in order to get a vaccine made, the game is one of the most revered outings of the last generation.
The Last of Us show will mostly cover the first game and its standalone spinoff, The Last of Us: Left Behind, which saw the story of Ellie getting bitten by an infected while out with her friend Riley. With both of their backstories also being established in the comic book American Dreams, many are wondering if that will be touched upon.
So, let's take a look at what American Dreams is all about and how we can expect the show to take some cues from it.
The Last of Us - American Dreams: Exploring the comic's story and how it might be adapted
When Left Behind came out, it introduced TLOU fans to a whole new world as the character of Riley was introduced and established Ellie's sexuality as well. With the two friends setting off on a journey that saw them both get bitten but only one survive, we thought that was the end for these characters then, but Naughty Dog pulled through with the America Dreams comic book.
Written by the video game's creator himself, Neil Druckmann, with art done by Faith Erin Hicks and published by Dark Horse comics, The Last of Us: American Dreams focuses on Ellie and Riley's backstories. Running for four issues, the story saw Ellie's first meeting with Riley and how she handled herself in this post-apocalyptic world.
When a group of boys start harassing Ellie, Riley jumps in to break up the fight and so begins their relationship. While Ellie is initially hesistant of her, she eventually comes around Riley as they both meet Winston, a soldier who teaches them to ride horses and is mentioned in the game as well.
The story also details Ellie's meeting with the Fireflies, a rebel group trying to find a vaccine, and her relationship with Marlene, the leader is showcased over here too, who reveals that she knows Ellie because she promised her mother that she would keep her safe. Riley's joining of the Fireflies is also touched upon over here, which adds a bunch of context to the Left Behind DLC (Downloadable content) as well.
The story will surely be fun to see in the live-action series as Left Behind is sure to be touched upon with glimpses being present in the trailer. With Bella Ramsey starring as Ellie and Storm Reid playing the role of Riley, a new life will be breathed into these characters that will honestly be exciting to see.
Until then, let's wait for The Last of Us as it releases next year on HBO.
