Southern Cross #2 Review

What will Alex discover next on the Southern Cross? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Day two on board the SOUTHERN CROSS’s five-day voyage to Titan, and the mysteries are already piling up. Like where has BRAITH’s cabin-mate disappeared to? Just how many people have died on board the ship? And how many of those spirits are still haunting the dark corners of the SOUTHERN CROSS? The plot thickens as BRAITH starts making connections, leading her through doors that should have been kept shut.

Despite not getting off to the best of starts, there was a lot about Southern Cross that intrigued, with the mysterious core story, and clever main character more than keeping this reader hooked. That being said, there were moments where I found it to be over elaborate, and this is a trend that follows into this second issue. Yes, the mystery is gripping, but it feels like a lot of questions, very little answers. That being said, this is still early days, and the payoff may very well be worth it.

Though I have a slightly mixed view on the mysterious elements of this comic, one thing that has impressed me is Becky Cloonan, with the Gotham Academy writer giving a highly dramatic series of event. She also gives great depth to Alex Braith, as with the disappearance of her room mate, there’s more than just her sister’s murder to investigate upon the Southern Cross. This is translated into gripping dialogue, as though the former statement kind of dampens the tension, it doesn’t mask it completely.

The artwork that Andy Belanger produced continues to fit this tale like a glove, as though some of the facial expressions are a little flat, the dark, simplistic style more than compliments this ship. The detail and magnitude of his layouts also continues to impress, with the vastness of space, and minimalistic interior of Southern Cross allowing for a gritty temperament. The character expressions of Alex also prove powerful, as despite the prior stated flatness, it really helps convey emotion. The soft, yet bold palette of Lee Loughridge also manages to add great depth to this world, as though it’s the pencils of Belanger that are the foundation, it’s this texture that helps it stand out.

Southern Cross continues to be a rather average series, as though there’s a lot that intrigues about this series, it doesn’t quite reach it’s full potential. The lack of atmosphere also makes it hard to immerse yourself into this story, and though the mystery is captivating, it’s not quite enough to override this. It’s this that makes it hard to recommend this comic, as though I’d love to say give this series a try, I can’t quite bring myself to recommend this comic to anyone who missed out on #1.