George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards: The Hard Call
Issue: #2
Writer: Daniel Abraham
Artist: Eric Battle
32 pp. Dabel Brothers. $3.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
After a decent start to the series which focused entirely on setting up the series, the second issue of George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards ramps things up a notch, providing an overall more enjoyable story and experience. Still like the first issue, the artwork in this issue is subpar, and desperately needs more artistic seasoning. Luckily, Daniel Abraham's great scripting otherwise saves the issue.
Alex is one of three survivors of an accidental exposure to the Wild Card virus at his high school science fair. He, along with Kira and Simon, have been transported to the Jokertown Clinic to emotionally deal with the tragedy at their school, as well as the effects the virus has on each of them.
Meanwhile, Croyd "The Sleeper" Crenson is trying to uncover who the mysterious Ace is who is framing him for the murder of Nurse Winters, evading the police who are quickly closing in on him. Crenson's search eventually leads him to a fateful meeting with Alex.
Abraham's writing is razor sharp, taking all the introductory work he did in the first issue and masterfully building on it here. By the end of the issue, Crenson is not the only character left with a mystery to uncover, which promises some interesting possibilities and directions for future issues. The characterizations are well-done, and it will be interesting to see how Abraham pulls it all together in the end.
Eric Battle once again provides the artwork and it really is the major drawback to the series so far. Some of the panels are ill-conceived and flat, lacking the energy you would expect from a superhero comic. The appearance and design of the characters is bland, many of them lacking any kind of distinguishing feature. It really is a shame, because it keeps this series from reaching its full potential.
Final Grade: 78 out of 100
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