Scott Snyder has been having one hell of a month with the releases of Batman, Superman Unchained, and American Vampire. Now there’s only one title left and it is The Wake. After a fantastic first issue, can it keep up this momentum and finish out the month strong for this writer? Is it good?
The Wake #2 (DC Comics)
After a flashback to ancient times, we return to the present with Lee Archer and the team as they get a good look at the mysterious creature the oil rig crew caught. From there, most of the issue is just the crew throwing out theories and thoughts about what the sea creature is and revealing some more backstory about the characters. However, the way the issue ends reveals something rather dangerous about the beast’s abilities.
Also, I’m pretty sure that the Vulture is one of the scientists.
Unlike the last issue, this one is very slow paced and not much really happens in it, at least until the end. It’s more about building things up and creating theories and ideas about the creature. It’s all good and most of the concepts are interesting, but this certainly is a change of pace from the very quick first issue and that the story does not really progress much.
Despite that, the writing is still rather solid. The dialogue between characters flows naturally. The aforementioned theories and concepts are very interesting. The characters are likeable and make you more curious to know their backstories, especially the main character. The last couple of pages are very creepy and unnerving, breaking up the slow pace. The comic can be a bit wordy though.
A majority of the comic is this, but hey, at least you are learning!
The artwork by Sean Murphy remains top notch and is still a sight to behold. He really brings all of these characters to life with their expressions and movements. He nails the mood at all the right moments, especially with the final pages (I keep mentioning them for a reason), and creates striking images. There’s nothing wrong with his work in the slightest, with only the small nitpick that some of his characters look like ones from his previous works.
Yeah! Parker never vomited water out like this before.
8.0
- The ideas and theories introduced were interesting.
- Still very creepy and has a good underlying sense of dread in the background.
- The artwork is gorgeous.
- The story does not progress much.
- The middle portion can drag a bit with the slow pacing.
Is It Good?
It certainly is, but not as much as the first issue. It slowed things done a lot, which could turn a reader off, but continued to build up its characters and the mysterious creature. Still, definitely worth picking up.
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