Having reviewed the first issue of Red Lance, I was excited to get my hands on the second issue from creator Gary Bloom. The first issue of Red Lance saw the rise of a misguided villain called Cataclysm. The second issue picks up in the aftermath of the destruction caused by him, which saw many civilians killed and injured.
The story evolves and expands further on the first issue. There is more insight into the superhero group, and their leader Vindic, as they look to find and destroy the work of Cataclysm. As the issue starts out though, the main focal point is a female character called Rupinella Daniels – a spokeswoman and head of MedryTech, the company Cataclysm, formerly Dr. Kly Perrels, worked for. She is seen trying to reassure the public that the tragic events that took place weren’t as bad as first thought, trying to bring a positive spin on the matter. She isn’t all she seems, as it soon becomes clear that she is hungry for power, and she will do whatever it takes to get it.
Centerpoint, where the comic is set, is a wasteland of thugs; it is up to Red Lance to try and stop them. It is during a violent fight on the streets of Centerpoint that we come across a new mysterious hero, known as Sonaru whose power includes concussive sound waves. Her introduction coincides with the fall of established Red Lance hero Raceway, who is left injured after the attack.
Another interesting side plot in the issue brings a debate between news anchors: the heroes and the affects they are having on the city, and whether they are actually having a positive or negative affect. This will be interesting to read in further issues as the debate of heroes looks to pick up.
In the first issue, Kly Perrels was very much the centric character. This time though, we only see the villain through a brief flashback. He is still being controlled by the menacing Vycia, who uses her powers to delve even deeper into the troubled mind of Perrels using his advanced knowledge of technology to help her on her mission to destroy the city.
There are improvements visible from an already strong debut, which can be seen through the sharp illustrations. This is noteworthy as the artwork within a comic is equally as vital as the writing. They tell the story visually to the reader, and it is important that they are equally strong. Thankfully, both the writing and artwork blend together, complimenting each other well. The overall story is also beginning to pick up pace, and is turning into an exciting prospect for future issues.
Creator Bloom is a father and a comic fan, and with Red Lance, he has created a fun superhero adventure series that can be enjoyed by those of young and old. He again strips away all the tendencies you see with recent comic books these days, and has created a simplistic good vs evil story, which is a refreshing approach to the genre which has been clouded by overly complicated stories.
Although it felt like the stepping stone to future issues, there was just enough going on in this issue which kept things engaging to read. Bloom does well at jumping from each character’s story, giving the reader enough time to absorb what is going on. By the end of the issue, a few questions are left unanswered, which I expect are intended to be answered in future issues.
As stated in the previous review, Bloom’s aim is to create a comic series in which men and women are equal. In fact, so far the women of Red Lance have overtaken the men in the power stakes. It is rare for a comic to feature so many strong and driven female characters. Equality is what drives Red Lance forward, and it is this thought process which makes the series truly unique.
At its core, Red Lance is a fun and enjoyable comic which is shaping nicely into a series worth reading. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a superhero comic series that is meant to entertain readers.
Further issues in the superhero saga are planned to be released in the future; it will be interesting to see where Bloom takes the series, and to see what he has in store for the heroes and the troubled villain Cataclysm.
You can help fund issue 3 in the series on the Kickstarter page, which can be viewed here. If you are a fan of good ol’ fashion good vs. evil, then I urge you to help.
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