The Old Guard, Book One: Opening Fire (The Old Guard #1) by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández (Image Comics, 2017)

★★☆☆☆

Two women and three men are semi-immortal soldiers who have been covertly fighting in virtually every conflict over the last several millennia.

Only after finishing the recent Netflix adaptation and seeing that it was “based on a graphic novel” did I remember I actually had this book on my shelf! So this is not so much a review as a comparison.

Overall, the adaptation is a significant improvement on the graphic novel. It smooths out several plot points and (perhaps most importantly) establishes strong stakes for our immortal main characters. A couple action sequences that are difficult or boring to follow on the page are improved on film, and the fight choreography is slick to boot.

Another major change in the movie is the question of Andy’s motivations. In the graphic novel, after the death of her one true love, Andy has become a jaded hedonist looking for something to live for. In the adaptation, she’s already found that purpose: she’s been trying to change the world for the better, but is demoralized to see nothing but crisis escalating around the globe. It’s a timely and compelling update that makes the character more sympathetic.

We also never see Copley’s research in the graphic novel, only a throwaway line about “eyewitness accounts, image comparisons going back to the 1850s, physical descriptions.” That line is expanded to tropey but compelling effect in the film.

And the queer representation is appreciated! Andy is bi/pan (hinted at in the film; explicit in the graphic novel), and apparently, Greg Rucka’s contract mandated that Nicky and Joe’s scene had to appear in any adaptation.

In sum, Opening Fire is a strong foundation that translates to the screen nearly beat for beat, but it’s not worth a detour over the film.