The Wake #2

The Wake #2 

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy

Solicitation & Preview

Review
Well, things just went from mediocre story to WTF IS GOING ON!

But in a very, very good way.

Sometimes you need a couple of issues to really sell the story, which is why I will typically have a three issue rule for any new series I want to try out. I would have kept with this book beyond that simply for Murphy's artwork, but now the story has me a little intrigued.

And really, it is only because they blew up the moon at the end of the book. Seriously. That better not be a dream sequence or anything, because that was pretty cool.

It really doesn't feel like a set up to Sphere in this issue. The story is starting to branch out on its own path and I'm thankful for that. the artwork would have kept me going, but the story is the key in this issue.

I find it funny that I see little bits of paneling or looks in the characters that remind me of Punk Rock Jesus, Murphy's creator owned book. Thankfully, those are just fleeting moments and we are able to get into some art that is miles different from PRJ.

And if you ever want to see how a colorist can influence a story, take a look at Matt Hollinsworth's work in this issue. Murphy's art gets a nice balance with the level of color work that really, if it was missing, wouldn't be the same story. Trust me, I would still buy the original artwork in a heartbeat, but it might not be a match for the finished product. Just try to extract the colors from the story and see if it could still be seen the same way.

My one hope is that Snyder doesn't travel into familiar territory in the next issue. It is weird to think that he is starting to become a hit or miss writer for me. He used to just be on top of things, but here lately it has become a little stale. This issue was a breath of fresh air.

Grades
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 9/10
General Feeling After Reading: Feeling good and thinking WTF.
Buy Next Issue: Most definitely.