Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Echoes #2 Review

Will Sam and Vic get any closer to finding the hacker? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Hot off of the best-selling The Punisher and Black Widow comics from Marvel, Nathan Edmondson brings you another issue of the thrilling series, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Echoes. The trail of terror leads to a cruise liner off the coast of Barcelona, but nothing makes sense to Sam and Paladin, who must take another step into the darkness around the mysterious and deadly group. But first, Sam will have to seek the help of a powerful friend-one of the only friends he still has. What started as a simple favor is quickly turning into a global battle for the operative who thought he was out of the game!

Having had an interest in the Splinter Cell video game series over the years I was pleasantly surprised to see just how well it transitioned into comic book format. Continuing in the same fashion we see Sam continue to be dragged into Vic’s business, with the duo having a lead on the hacker. This leads to classic Splinter Cell action from Sam, with the stealth and suspense throughout being thoroughly enjoyable.

Nathan Edmondson has really impressed me with his work as of late, and though the first issue of this series didn’t quite live up to the high standards he’s set, this one certainly does. The way in which Edmondson portrays Sam’s character, along with his reaction to the situation at hand is spot on, with the suspense and dramatic timing adding that extra level of intensity. In addition to this Edmondson also manages to build yet more mystery surrounding the hacker and their fundamental goal. Despite this there was one sequence near the middle that felt out of place, and unnecessary.

Marc Laming also continues to impress with his outstanding artwork, giving an intense and gritty look to this story. The sharpness of Laming’s inks, alongside the rough shading really allows definition within the characters completion, allowing the character expressions to feel more dynamic. Where Laming impresses the most however is in the general layout and sense of positioning, with it yet again giving an dramatic flair to Edmondson’s script. Rounding things off we yet again get vivid colour from Ian Herring, giving the perfect finish to Laming’s pencils and inks.

Splinter Cell: Echoes takes things up a notch with this intense thriller proving both exciting and mysterious. Highly recommended.