The bold new series from Tom King and Jorge Fornés returns this week with its second issue in a planned twelve-issue series. Playing off characters initially introduced in the obscure comic DC 1st Issue Special, the first issue introduced a conflict that will change its characters forever. An accidental murder has taken place, Lady Cop is on the case, and a gang of misfit kids reels from the loss of their close friend.
If you like narratives that jumble multiple plots that all seem to be barreling towards a singular point, you’re going to love the energy in Danger Street #2. While the first issue introduced all the characters, this issue reacts to the death of the last issue and spins directly out of that. This issue opens with the Dingbats at their friend’s funeral but hops around, showing us what the perpetrator is doing, how Lady Cop is trying her best to find the killer, and Creeper’s role as news pundit continues. A powder keg is in place, and all hell will break loose at some point.
Before that inevitable explosion, this issue does a lot to take its time with character emotion. Fornés masterfully shows the killer is reeling from the accident and is not in a good way. The remaining Dingbats are also processing things and aren’t sure about their next steps. You get the sense these are real people dealing with a significant loss, and the comic gives them the attention they deserve to react to the death.
Nine-panel grid. Oh yeah!
Credit: DC Comics
The ability to humanize every character is the biggest strength of Danger Street. That goes for a rather unfeeling and typically archetypal supervillain like Darkseid, who at one point hugs another character. Most of the characters in this series so far are rather obscure, but they’re being handled with a sense of realism that’s rare, and that makes the book feel quite special. Fornés is masterful in capturing their humanity.
I will say patience is key when reading this series. We’re witnessing a snowball move down a hill, and while it’s not that big yet, it’s getting bigger. That means carefully paying attention to the temperature in the room for each of these plots and seeing how they are moving to a simmer. We don’t get a full boil of drama yet, but it’s coming.
Fornés is also incredible at pace. This story moves at an even keel, cutting away to an oil rig at an opportune time and dropping a hammer on the characters, swinging your attention like a great film. A key example of the great pacing is a scene with the Commodore calling in to talk to Jack Ryder, the Creeper. He had a great show on their news program, so calls him while torturing a person. The attention to detail in body language, facial expressions, and how the story is laid out is incredible. Only the Commodore’s eyes can be seen in one panel, seemingly taking away his emotion and showing he’s an unfeeling monster.
Dave Stewart also colors the book with a heightened realism that suits Fornés’ art. Just take a look at the level of detail supplied by the colors in the Lady Cop scene set in a gas station store.
Danger Street is an excellent social commentary on people doing their best and trying to keep their heads above water. It’s a profoundly realistic story while playing with superheroes and supervillains in creative ways. Danger Street #2 continues to show with the best creators literally any hero of any renown can hit you in the feels and make you think about life.
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