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AdHoc Studio explains why the Dispatch game's comics are still canon — even when they contradict the game

AdHoc Studio knows that the comics present the death of Mecha Man differently than the Dispatch game, but that doesn't mean they aren't canon.

Shroud From Dispatch
Image credit: AdHoc Studio

Dispatch season one is out in its entirety, but that isn’t the complete story. AdHoc Studio has put out a collection of comics that expand on the world of Dispatch. However, fans have noticed some, shall we say, inconsistencies between the Dispatch comics and the events presented in the game. The developers say that the comics are intended to be canon… even when that might create some continuity issues.

One of the things we asked Dennis Lenart and Nick Herman, two founders of AdHoc Studio, about when we spoke to them was about the Dispatch comics that are part of the Digital Deluxe edition of the game. We pointed out that the issue titled The Death of Mecha Man, which showed Shroud murdering Robert’s father, portrays the events very differently than how Shroud explains them in the game.

“I think there’s an interesting conversation that has been happening with our community about, like, here’s what Shroud said and here’s what we see and what is real there,” Herman said. “And I feel weird just saying here’s what it is, you know? I feel like just kind of spoiling it or ruining it. But I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say here, to be honest, because I know the answer.”

When we asked if the discrepancy between the events says something about Shroud as a character, Herman was similarly cagey.

“Yes. [pauses] I mean, I think the thing that I always sort of key in on that comic is more like Robert's dad's approach and how, you know, Robbie is kind of a bully, you know? And like, kind of created this guy that you have to deal with now, and seeing kind of Robert's approach, how different Robert's approach is to his father's to dealing with Shroud. And conditionally, you can basically go down the same path your dad did, which is beating the shit out of this guy. But, yeah, on the Shroud stuff, I feel like I'm just going to leave that piece unanswered.”

Why were they so eager to tease fans with this particular plot point? Because, as Dennis Lenart pointed out, there is now a good chance that they will revisit the world of Dispatch in upcoming games. “You never know what could happen in the future,” he said.

So, is there a continuity issue in the Dispatch comics? Not as far as the developer is concerned.


Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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