Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption Volume 1 Review

#review March 27, 2026

by Alysha Parkinson

Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption Vol. 1 is a colourful and action-packed webcomic that is definitely a must-read for fans of the popular video game, Honkai Impact 3rd (2016). The comic is a prequel to HoYoverse's game, and it features an exciting number of beloved characters from the franchise. It will be available on the TOKYOPOP store on April 7, 2026.

I was able to have a sneak peek and review the first volume of the Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption. The comic gives a nice glimpse into the characters' backgrounds, to the point where the story can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone, with some caveats. For those who haven't played the game, the terms and characters that pop up may be a bit confusing to follow. So all in all, I do recommend this comic for Honkai Impact 3rd gamers since there are plenty of references, lore, and details that can be appreciated.

Action-packed, Good Art, and Prequel Thrills

The story of Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption Vol. 1 highlights conflict well. We start out in a research lab in Siberia, called the Tower of Babylon, where scientists are killed by an unknown ghost. The incident signals an alarm that alerts the members of the Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, and the Valkyries arrive to investigate it as well. They realise that the ghost is Sirin, the Herrscher of the Void. Siegfried Kaslana's team joins forces in battle with the Anti-Entropy led by Welt Yang.

I found the conflict between the two opposing teams quite compelling. Schicksal members disagreeing with Siegfried’s idea in regards to Anti-Entropy's intended use the Herrscher added a layer of drama and kept the story intriguing.

The action was there right off the bat with glimpses of some characters' pasts (which do not have a big impact on the story yet ). I liked how the comic brought out their perspectives. I wish that there were more pages so that I could learn more about who the characters are and how they work, but I guess Volume 2 might cover that.

My favorite part about the first volume of Second Eruption was the art. I loved the colors and the fact that it was a full-color, which enhanced the overall vibe of the book.

You could tell what the characters were feeling through their skillfully drawn facial expressions. I noticed that the weapon drawings looked as accurate as in-game, which makes it clear how a lot of attention to detail was given during the design of these elements. It also matches the game's aesthetic quite well, which is to be expected from HoYverse.

Personally, I find audio effects in comics and webtoons to be sometimes too distracting, so that it takes away the focus from the actual art, characters, and scenes. However, in this case, I didn't get distracted whatsoever. I knew they were there, but I was so immersed in the character designs and story.

All in all, Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption Vol. 1 is definitely a must-read comic, especially for fans of the Honkai Impact 3rd game. It's an interesting piece of lore for fans and is a comic that can encourage readers into the game as well.

Although I found the pacing a bit fast at times, it didn't particularly disrupt the story's flow. In fact, I generally enjoyed the direction of the narrative. I really liked the initial dark mystery followed by the investigations, and it felt like the first volume managed to get readers interested just enough to theorize, and hopefully look forward to the sequel.

Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption Vol. 1 on April 7, 2026. Pre-orders and more information can be found on TokyoPop's official website.

In addition to Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2, HoYoverse is also currently publishing another game that is a part of the Honkai Impact series, Honkai: Star Rail.

Anime Atelier was provided a review copy of the webcomic in an exchange for a review.