Dead Body Road #2 Review

After a hard hitting inaugural issue, is there enough left within this yarn to hold attention? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Will a standoff in a diner lead Gage one dead body closer to his revenge? Or is it just a pit stop on the highway to Hell?

There have been many tales that have dealt with a character seeking revenge, but I have to say that after two issues this version of the concept stands out in my mind. It’s not that it presents a stark and wholly different set of circumstance in order to make it rise above, but rather the deliberate and consistent actions of the creative team make it into something more. What we get is a journey that might read a bit quickly but still manages to pack a punch.

The script by Justin Jordan is lean but certainly mean, as we see our widowed husband continue his trek toward some semblance of resolution. The protagonist is certainly interesting, because Gage understands that what he’s doing is not going to stop the pain of the loss he suffered. But this man with a plan knows that the people he’s going after don’t deserve to breathe. Again the book relies on classic tropes of the genre, but the author manages to take what could easily feel overused and concoct something that feels engaging and, dare I say it, very satisfying.

Matteo Scalera lends his pencil to the visual component and the end result is an array of stylized images that succeeded in tickling my fancy. The renditions found within the confines of these pages use rigid lines and deliberate execution to breathe life into this violent world. The first thing I thought when I opened the book is how functional each panel looks, as a sweeping kinetic energy fills the work with just enough substance to get me to buy into this whole concept.

Dead Body Road #2 may not re-write the book on the revenge saga, but it manages to birth a polished experience that earns my attention and praise. Recommended.

4/5