Storm Dogs is a mini-series I was personally looking forward to. I enjoy a good science fiction story, whether it be watching an episode of Battlestar Galactica or playing Mass Effect. The first issue did a solid job with establishing the story, characters, and setting. It had a slow start but got better once the main cast landed on Planet Amaranth. Then things really got intense when these creatures appeared. All in all, it was a good start to this sci fi epic. The second installment is very dialogue heavy, explaining some details and showing us the low-class parts of the planet. While there wasn’t too much action, (they didn’t even get to wear their cool Master Chief suits) it’s another solid issue further establishing this unique universe.

Here’s the official description from Image:

Jered’s story: The crime team’s forensic pathologist performs an autopsy that reveals a new mystery, a meeting with the native aliens leads to violence and the second day on Amaranth ends in a close encounter with an enigmatic character called…Doll.

This one starts out with three deceased bodies from the acid rain and monster attack being examined by a forensic pathologist. It’s pretty interesting when he brings up the ‘Dream Bug,’ a type of insect exclusive to the planet. The main parts of this issue take place within a bar. David Hine’s writing is very strong, the characters are diverse. Here we see Professor Zenda, whom has a great fascination with the Elohi. She jumps at the chance to be able to see one in person, but is disgusted to find out what goes on in the back of the bar. Technically not too much is accomplished in this issue, it’s basically just showing us what Planet Amaranth is like. There’s no sign of the alien creatures from last time and not much sci fi action. If the writing was bad we’d have a problem, but thankfully that isn’t the case.

The art is very good, succeeding in making the setting and atmosphere very alien. There are no standout pages since this is more of a dialogue based issue than showing cool armor and menacing aliens. The cover is a more artistic one, showcasing an Elohi in all its glory. (Unfortunately it doesn’t look too impressive in the comic.)

Overall, a very good second issue of Storm Dogs. I’m very intrigued by this world and characters, I look forward to the next one. (Of course, I expect some good creature action after such a heavy dialogue issue!)

4/5