I gamble like I live my life: I go all in every time and hope for the best.
There’s a good reason I’m not rich, folks.
But Cullen Bunn and A.C. Zamudio are clearly much smarter players than myself. Because after a decent enough debut issue for Arcana Royale, the duo have achieved the right mix of luck and grit to turn this little game back into their favor.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Previously in Arcana Royale, we met Hudson Tremaine, a card shark who entered the most serious game of her life in the Arcanos Mysterinos. And thanks to an issue-ending beating from another player, Corvin, Hudson found out just how serious the Arcanos Mysterinos was for this cabal of mysterious players. With the potential to reshape reality itself, wouldn’t you want to go all in every single time?
Sure, the core gimmick here was, in my own words, “slightly too flimsy,” but Arcana Royale had some real potential humming in issue #1. The book almost immediately felt Vertigo-esque in its scope/nature, and Hudson was an interesting enough lead in this “strange, multifaceted world.” The issue, then, was that Arcana Royale needed to build up the gimmick and make us care about the real stakes of the game. And it did just that with a few key decisions across issue #2.
For one, it’s the art (with Zamudio joined by colorist Bill Crabtree and letterer Josh Reed). The monster-centric roster of other players isn’t exactly the most jaw-dropping stuff, but in issue #2 the team reached a sense of familiarity and intent with the designs and general aesthetic. So, yeah, the goat-headed dealer ain’t exactly novel, but I already feel a connection to the kinds of stories and ideas that said visual decision represents. (Which is basically John Constantine meets Tales from the Crypt, and that’s very much a good thing.) There’s also a large, semi-mutated sock monkey playing the game, and that character works so dang well to help define the look and feel of this world in one single, robust moment.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
But even wiser still, the book made some decisions to better ground itself in the real world, like featuring shots of the Las Vegas strip and the group playing in some abandoned aquarium. These little things bring home the subtle but effective use of magic, showing us that the game is very much real and could be played in the periphery of our own universe. That, dear readers, is an exciting prospect that brings it all home in a very real way.
And to further that sense of immersion, we got some more supporting characters to round out this world. One such figure is a former winner of the Arcanos Mysterinos — a bloated, semi-horrific man who toes the line between reality and horror in a way that furthers a core theme of this issue. That man’s introduction also clues us into the larger context and stakes of the game; not just regarding the aforementioned reality-shaping prize, but the larger consequences attached to the Arcanos Mysterinos.
I won’t reveal that novel little turn, but I can say that not only does it add heaps of drama to the proceedings, but it’s an instance where Arcana Royale gets to more effectively marry its premise/story with the visuals. Which is to say, it’s the bloated man and certain acts of violence where thing begin to truly break down. It’s where the glamour and magic meets the ugly world, and in that space we 1) feel the true significance of what Hudson is gambling on and 2) how they’re may not be any winners, just varying levels of lose/losing. And in that, Arcana Royale reaches the spookiness and levels of unsettling as intended by its gimmick.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Meanwhile, if you’re not so keen on looking at bloated dudes, issue #2 also introduces the oh-so dreamy Reese. A card player himself, Reese rescues Hudson post-beating and helps prepare her for the next round of play. Is he a hunky love interest? You betcha, and that simple but effective device feels like a great way to further ground Hudson’s work in a relatable manner. At the same time, Reese could be another ploy of this book, and his dreamboat visage may be a trick and/or a commentary on the ugly nature of the world and what happens when we gamble our very humanity for the meager chance of change. (And not, like, putting in the work to be better, happier people.) Either way, his presence feels like a shot in the arm for this story.
But even with Reese’s hunky vibes permeating things, Hudson is still very much the star of this book. For one, seeing her bloody, wounded face creates a sense of sympathy and also reminds you of her effective mix of true grit and sheer desperation. But more than having all the moxy in the world, Hudson has a moment in the book’s intro that nicely encapsulates a lot of the “themes” of Arcana Royale #2.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Specifically, we get a sense of what she’s lost, what she wants to do, and the perilousness of her journey. It all connects back to family drama and loss, and Hudson’s nightmare in this issue picks up on those ideas of the warm and relatable breaking down into the horrific (a solid visual analogy for death, loss, suffering, and why some things aren’t worth wagering over).
But if nothing else, it just gives us a proper emotional spark and even more reasons to care, and that’s more important for Arcana Royale than its gimmick as it tries to become a powerful story about beating a world that’ll eat you alive every single time. There’s still work to be done, but already there’s heaps more reasons to care for and feel terrified regarding Hudson’s chances.
As established already, I’m no gambling expert. But if I know one thing about these kinds of games, it’s that your chances can turn on a dime with a little luck and dash or two of chutzpah. In the case of Hudson and Arcana Royale, some proper character work, a little added horror, and an infusion of familiarity made all the difference. It’s not perhaps night and day between issues #1 and #2, but it’s already clear that Arcana Royale is ready to play for keeps.
And with two issues still to come, it’s going to be this very thoughtfulness and intensity that’ll secure the biggest jackpot of all: our shared admiration.
You must be logged in to post a comment.