The Dying and the Dead #2 Review


Can this series continue to be amazing? Or will it fall at the second hurdle? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“THE OLDEST GENERATION” Faced with an impossible task, the Colonel assembles the remnants of his WWII team for one final mission and one last ride into the glorious sunset.

DyingandDead02_Preview_PageHaving been excited, all be it sceptically, about The Dying and the Dead, I was ecstatic to see that my expectations were met, with the result being a thoroughly enticing comic. Unfortunately that thought process is ground to a halt in this issue, as though it’s not bad, it doesn’t do the comic any favours when it comes to building momentum. Adding more characters to the series’ line-up, this second issue focuses on Colonel Edward James Canning’s quest to build a group to go on this mission, with the result being a constant transition from place to place.

This ultimately leads for a rather stagnant flow, as just when one sequence starts becoming interesting, we’re moved to a completely different one. Despite this, Jonathan Hickman still manages to garner my attention, as though it may be hanging by a thread, there’s still a lot that I want to explore in this concept. In addition to this, he also keeps an exciting trend, with there being certain points throughout the issue that livens things up. He also leaves us a lot to think about as we enter the culmanative sequence, with the developments being magnificent.

The artwork on the other hand is as fantastic as it was first time around, with Ryan Bodenheim‘s bold, yet detailed art being very striking. Delivering an immersive set of panels, the artist makes up for the lack of intrigue within the script, with the dramatic nature being very alluring. He also gives a suspenseful flair, as though the constant jumping from place to place, kills this vibe, it’s brilliant whilst it lasts. The colours of Michael Garland also manage to give great depth to this story, with the bold, yet soft choice of palette, and mixture of colour choices allowing for great tone.

The Dying and the Dead #2 is a complete let down compared to the invigorating opening issue, with the slow burning cast introductions taking all the energy that was built in the first. It does on the other hand do enough to keep this fanboy intrigued, but has a lot to make up for. I can’t however recommend it to anyone who hasn’t already read #1, and advise caution at that.

OUR RATING
6
  • + Suspenseful climax.
  • + Fantastic artwork.
  • - Jumps about too much.
  • - Too dull.

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