Dawnrunner is a story Ram V has had in his back pocket for years now, as he told me on the AIPT Comics podcast. That makes this creator-owned series that much more special, knowing how many great works Ram V has penned, and given the first issue introducing readers to a compelling mystery, more than enough reason to buy this series on sight. With the second issue out this week, can Ram V and Evan Cagle draw us even further in? The answer is yes.
Dawnrunner #2 opens with pilot Anita Marr enjoying some time with her daughter. They sit in a beautiful field, yet Anita is in a hazmat suit. Cagle draws you in with a beautiful background, which juxtaposes well with the fact that Anita’s daughter must be sick, or maybe even the world around them is false. Since Anita somehow saw another person’s life when she last used a giant mech, Iron King, anything is possible. It’s soon made clear what is really going on, which is a nice nod to the larger mystery.
That mystery gets adequate answers as we learn how Anita somehow embodied another life. Further details emerge around Anita’s rough relationship with her boss, who seems more interested in pleasing viewers and controlling Anita simultaneously. This is a world where giant Kaiju are less a threat and more an entertainment, with giant mechs used to beat them back for the all-powerful dollar. Meanwhile, Anita isn’t interested in much of that, especially now that she wants to get to the bottom of the mysterious man named Ichiro that she crossed over with.
Is that an Iron Giant reference?
Credit: Dark Horse
The larger sci-fi aspects are intriguing and go beyond a kaiju fighting romp. At this stage, the mystery doesn’t quite lead to any one revelation yet, but the parental element is strong. Anita cares for her own sick kid, while Ichiro wants to protect his family. Given the rather twisted nature of his identity as a part of the technology used to entertain the masses, one can probably assume there’s a tragic element to his end.
Speaking of the end, the weakest element is the cliffhanger, which left me wanting. The nature of serial storytelling rears its head here, as it’s likely going to be entertaining, but we must wait a few more weeks to know where this could be going and what the stakes are for Anita involving Ichiro.
Cagle gets to flex his kaiju vs. mech muscles as the story flashes back to how Anita survived the battle in the last issue. Their epic scale is well done, and there’s some grisly gore thrown into the mix this time. The cool visuals to show Anita crossing over continue with panels overlaid on each other in a creative way. An epic full-page splash of Iron King is another showstopper, with all sorts of wires and metallic pieces on the mech highlighting its massive beauty. There are some incredible sci-fi visuals throughout, not even involving monsters or giant mechs, but small technological elements of Iron King or the Blade Runner-esque city.
Dawnrunner #2 further defines the sci-fi twist on kaiju vs. mech storytelling with a Robocop element you won’t see coming. Dawnrunner is a sophisticated sci-fi with heaps of action and dazzling art. What more could you want?
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