“We opened Pandora’s Box…now we have to close it.” ~The Vice President

Clone returns with a very powerful second issue. I wasn’t really prepared for how the story would go in the first issue. Clones are a very popular thing to use in media, so it being the primary thing here would either be a cliche or something interesting. Thankfully it was the latter. We were introduced to our main character Luke Taylor, whom might not even be the original. We saw Foss, a clone of his whose mission is to find all the remaining clones, and Patrick, an apparently evil clone who has kidnapped Luke’s wife. A lot of questions were being asked, and we get a lot of answers in this installment. Not only was this superior to the first issue, it’s one of the best comics I’ve read this week. Now this series looks to be one of Image’s best.

Here’s the official description from Image:

Dr. Luke Taylor’s world continues to unravel and open up as the hunt for his missing, and very much pregnant, wife continues. His clone counterparts show him just how many clones are out there – and how much the government had a role to play!

Like politics? A political background to the story is established in the beginning. There’s no messages pertaining to modern day, rather it displays a government that is about to place a band on the use of Embryonic Stem Cells, which they’ve been using for the past 30 years. David Shulner’s writing is strong from beginning to end. Despite being clones of Luke, he gives diverse personalities to Foss and Patrick well. After the political beginning, we see Foss take Luke to a place, which is filled with clones. What we get is a very interesting backstory for how all this happened. His words are both humorous and serious. “Like all things in life…you can start by blaming your father.” And do you know how the clones started to find out about each other? Facebook. I usually don’t like when a comic incorporates modern day things, it often could be overdone. That little segment was admittedly funny, since it wasn’t overplayed. The key thing Foss says is that it his goal to find all the Clones. Interesting stuff. The fact that Luke may not even be the original adds to the suspenseful aspect. Things to start to really heat up when Luke makes a call to Patrick. After that, be prepared for a shocking moment when you’re going to think, “Did he just…?” That last segment of the story was just amazingly shocking and completely fools tothe reader until what is revealed on the last page, so props to Shulner.

The art also doesn’t fail to disappoint. Despite all being clones, the art succeeds in giving appearance traits to Luke, Foss, and Patrick, making them all the same but having slightly different appearances, reflecting on their personalities. The vice president sometimes has too many wrinkles, but that’s a minor thing. The cover showcases Patrick holding a gun with a backdrop of alive and deceased clones. It reflects a scene later in the comic, a truly fine cover.

Overall, Clone #2 demonstrates how to continue the story and keeping the reader invested. There’s a surprising amount of answers to Issue #1’s questions, but there’s also some interesting new developments. Foss continues to be the best character, and Patrick is still a pretty solid antagonist. With a pretty awesome ending, you can bet I’ll be back for Issue #3. (And the fact that this series is $2.99 an issue is a great bonus.)

4.5/5