New dangers arrive in London.
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Ariela Kristantina
Colors: Bryan Valenza
What They Say:
Free of their captor, the lovers explore their freedom, their love, and the monstrous new transformations of which they are capable. But when their thirst for revenge deepens, a sleek, vicious new predator creeps into London, threatening to destroy all they hold dear.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The opening installment of Insexts certainly captivated me in both look and story and that had me eager to dig into the second issue the first chance that I could get. While the era in which it takes place is familiar and we’ve had other stories of similar nature there before, there’s a lot of really wonderful style applied and you can see how both Bennett and Kristantina are feeling more confident with each issue, which makes me curious to see how they’ll be in a few more issues riding off the acclaim of these opening installments. The book has a certain kind of power behind it, an intensity that you could almost call lust within it, that really drives what’s going on in a great way as you live vicariously through Lady Bertram and Mariah.
Time has passed by about six months with the start of this book in order to allow their child to be unveiled so that it could be believed to be Harry’s, who has been missing all this time. The cover is familiar enough and though there are obviously whispers and tales, nobody is doing anything serious about it. Well, outside of a suitor or two that are looking to step in while Harry is away. For Mariah and Lady Bertram, they’re now able to go out a bit more and enjoy the pleasures of London, though amusing Mariah is far more interested in the pleasures of her Lady. The two have some really intense moments in this installment yet again and that just reinforces the kind of dynamic that they have, a lust and craving combined with a strong love. This gets them into a bit of trouble here and there, especially as Lady Bertram is beginning to really take to her transformations, but it’s something that can still be hidden.
Amid their growing comfort with each other and their place in the world, two new dangers begin to show up in London. With Harry’s body finally being discovered, which allows the two to begin moving forward at last, we see very different things that will threaten them. The first is almost a shadow as there’s a beast lurking in London that’s making numerous attacks, resulting in it being called a butcher. It could be anything at this point but what little we see makes it intriguing. The likely more dangerous threat is the arrival of Harry’s brother George and his wife Sylvia. There’s a lot of bad blood that’s revealed about Harry and his wife here, as well as her name at long last, that makes it clear just how far Sylvia will go to protect the family name. That’s definitely going to play a big part, even if just in the short term, and I’m excited to see how far Sylvia can carry through with her threats.
In Summary:
Insexts grabbed me firmly with the first installment and this one has me really wishing there were already half a dozen issues out so I could soak up more of it. While I enjoy a lot of works from a range of creators when they work in the mainstream superhero side, I’m always more interested when they get to bring their own ideas, unencumbered by the dictates of the corporate side, and just run with it. Marguerite Bennett has been doing some great work yet there’s a kind of passion here that just takes it to a whole other level. And that’s made even more so because of Kristantina’s beautiful and haunting artwork. I can’t get enough of it and just skim through and look at various panels to take in all the details separate from the story itself. It’s a fantastic looking book with a story that demands you come back for more. I can’t get enough.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: AfterShock Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: January 13th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
