The second volume draws to a close.
Creative Staff:
Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Vincenzo Carratu
Colors: Kike J. Diaz
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
What They Say:
Vampirella. Evil Sonja. Ash of Army Of Darkness. Pantha. Project: Superpowers. Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. Jennifer Blood. Smiley. Frankenstein monsters. ONE…WILL…DIE! Or…SOME…WILL…DIE! Or…ALL…WILL…DIE! (zombie stories make it hard to tell who’s died, but trust us, it’s gonna be somebody!)
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The second volume of this large sprawling storyline draws to a close here with a few more deaths but also the open-ended aspect that means the third run can go in some new directions. I’m still easily lost at times on some of the characters because of the nature of Dynamite’s various licenses but you can still enjoy it and have fun with the basics of what’s going on. As before, Fred Van Lente continues to manage the story pretty well and its cast of characters so that it feels about right and on brand for most. For Vincenzo Carratu, this means a lot of designs to try and get just right while still having his particular style about it. It definitely comes together well and has a good cohesive feeling while still going wild and weird as needed for what the undead are up to or some of our other players.
The end of this second act is one that works pretty well overall even if it sticks to the two-track narrative. With Sonja having taken over the base and with Cannon under her control, she’s intent on ending everything by launching all the missiles. Its not a bad plan and it’s certainly panicking a lot of people when you get down to it. The problem is that as time goes on she realizes that while she can hear millions of the undead in her head, she hears nothing from Cannon and that means his mental control, even when dead, is still impressive as he’s quietly working against her. It’s an amusing twist and one that works in a totally Peter Cannon kind of way that I can appreciate just for its sheer ridiculousness. Of course, Cannon can’t seal the deal here, though that’s not entirely in his control.
The flip side is back at S-Mart where Jennifer Blood has gotten the Necronomicon and letting Smiley invoke it in order to revert everything, which, as she points out, is because her kids got killed and she wants them back. Smiley being Smiley means that he has his own grand plan and it goes contrary to what Blood thought was happening. It’s unfortunate that Vampirella and Pantha have little going on here, though getting Vampi a wig was nice, rather it’s the arrival of Red Sonja that changes things as she deals with Smiley. But even there it just kind of becomes setup for what’s to come as she gains a new weapon and control but is also now facing a different and greater threat from the future. It’s a mess of a lot of things happening at once but it does all flow pretty well all-told, even as it feels like a rushed conclusion – yet isn’t a conclusion.
In Summary:
This is a very busy issue and if you weren’t aware that it was the end of the second volume, you’d be worried that they’re rushing a whole lot. The events here move pretty well overall and I liked the little twisty bit with Sonja and Cannon and would have liked to have seen more with some of the other characters involved. We do get a few seemingly firm deaths here, but nothing is firm in this universe so you can take it only so far. It’s a great-looking issue with a lot of action and crazy moments and a really good dose of Smiley which delights. I’m definitely curious to see what round three will look like.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 10th, 2021
MSRP: $3.99
