Out of the frying pan… into the wild?
What They Say:
Orchid, along with her little brother and an unexpected ally named Simon, find themselves in unknown territory after they’re captured and sold by slave traders. Headed toward the feared Fortress Penuel, Simon must mount an escape plan if he’s going to rescue his rebel comrades and return the mysterious and powerful mask of General China to its rightful owner–a saint believed to save the oppressed from the wicked Tomo Wolfe.
The Review:
The second issue picks up with more of the backstory of Orchid’s world, including details about what happened once the sea levels began to rise. The art in this section is dark and disturbing –images of our possible blighted future. Honestly, though, I would rather have jumped right back into the story of Simon and Orchid’s captivity. It wasn’t until I’d had a second read through that I appreciated this flashback section. On the first read, I just wanted to skim ahead until I got back to them!
After we resume the current day action, the cuts between that and the flashbacks felt a bit choppy. It took me a little while to figure out how the pieces fit together. Simon and Orchid’s personality clashes are fun, though the dialogue doesn’t quite feel natural. Simon’s personality shows some intriguing developments, as he exhibits more than just “bookishness” when he helps with the escape. Unfortunately, it takes until almost the end of the issue for me to see Orchid taking action. Just like in the first, I wanted to see more of her being the prime mover in the story – especially since the tale is named after her. I’m hoping the third installment brings her front and center where I want her to be.
Some of the art in this issue really appealed to me. I love the way the mutated creatures are depicted. The dark colors and details helped build the image of a dangerous world, one where humanity has to fight to survive. I also enjoyed several of the panels that were drawn in silhouette. Some of the other panels seemed less detailed, without even a background. I know that it was probably done to draw more attention to the characters themselves, but I didn’t enjoy that technique. Overall, though, the color scheme and the artistic style did help me see this tortured world more clearly.
In Summary:
The execution of the story had some weaknesses, and I’d like to see the title character take on a more active role in the tale. With the story named after her, I feel like Orchid should begin to step more to the front of the action. I also wished for a bit less detail on the events from the past. The first issue did a great job establishing the backstory of the setting, and I thought that the back and forth flashbacks in this issue slowed the story down unnecessarily. Some of the new details were interesting additions, but some of it was not central to the tale being told.
The portions of the story that focused on the current day events, with Simon and Orchid trying to escape from captivity, held my attention much more than the flashbacks in this issue. I love the dystopian genre, and I’m still intrigued by the fate of the mask of General China. Who can wield the mask, and how will it help them defeat the oppressors? While this issue didn’t quite live up to the promise of the first, the ending did keep me sufficiently interested to want to continue on and learn the rest of the tale.
Grade: B
Readers Rating: [ratings]
