Independence Day #2 Review

After a lackluster first installment, Titan Comics’ prequel series to Independence Day: Resurgence is back for its second issue.

Is it good?

Independence Day #2 (IDW Publishing)

Observations

• Not sure why this issue needed four artists, but they do a really nice job drawing the alien.
• Too bad they couldn’t help with the dialogue.
• The inside of this spaceship looks a bit like a Ramada Inn that I stayed at last year.
• Please tell me I’m not the only who caught the ‘Ramirez, Do Everything’ reference.
• These guys seem pretty chipper for having just lost a member of their team.
• “Blast them alien sumbitches!” Seriously?
• Twenty years later, miraculously figuring out alien technology still appears to be a franchise theme.
• They’re just going to let them go back?

Is It Good?

I really like the way the aliens are drawn…which is good, because otherwise, ugh.

‘Ack’ indeed…

The art is well done overall, but considering that this is our first extended/ground level look inside a large alien craft, I was hoping for something with a much less generic appearance.

Same with the encounter the strike team has with the aliens. Aside from a cool moment when one of them is forced to vocalize for his extraterrestrial attacker, their big fight scene devolves into run of the mill (and poorly choreographed) shoot ‘em up.

And then you have the strike team itself, lead by the dude who is afraid of water (but not really). I understand that soldiers have to keep their cool in combat situations, but it was still odd seeing them quip with each other while basically shrugging off the fact that one of their team members got killed. Where’s the panic and fear? I’m not saying this had to be like the first engagement from 1986’s Aliens, but the action sequences deserved a great deal more energy and visceral reactions than we got.

I like the prospect that the issue’s ending sets up. But considering how bland this series has been so far, I don’t hold out much hope for next issue’s close encounter to be much better.