After the opening salvo of A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, it’s clear IDW Dark’s series has found a new angle on the multi-movie series. A small town situated on an island has a mix of people who don’t want to believe aliens are taking out cities, or want to at least pretend they’ll be safe where they are. Then there are people taking action, knowing the aliens can’t swim, but time is running out. After the action-packed ending of the first issue, writer Phil Hester and artist Ryan Kelly don’t take their foot off the pedal with issue #2.
A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #2 focuses primarily on two scenes, with a quick check-in on a few of the townsfolk elsewhere. The first is where we left off, as Terri tries to keep herself and Mia alive. They jumped into a boat mere inches from being killed, but the alien isn’t going without a fight. Their journey feels rather hopeless, with a boat taking on water, and aliens roaming the shores.
Hester does a good job supplying information when the threat isn’t present, reminding us these are small-town folk who know each other well. Their corner of the story advances the weather as a wrinkle that could keep them alive a bit longer. It also gives us a bit of hope and a reason to care about these characters making it to the end.
Karate, CHOP!
Credit: IDW
Meanwhile, Lonnie Fry is rushing on his own to break a levee and make their little island alien-proof. The meatier portion of the story, his dredge can only do so much before an alien drops in. This gives the issue ample action, including close calls, violence, and cold bodies left over to remind us of the ramifications. Kelly draws Lonnie a bit like the captain from Jaws, which suits the dredge location with the attacks coming a hair’s distance from Lonnie’s flesh.
Closing out the issue is a cliffhanger that puts another character in danger, although I was a bit confused about how a mostly quiet river is now raging. Some reason for it, maybe the levy breaking, would have sufficed.
Generally, the art is as good as the last issue, with nice details in water and surroundings. The threat posed by the alien is conveyed well through the action, and they look particularly freaky when attempting to listen. Sometimes the aliens can look a little stiff as they lurk, and Mia’s age is tricky to pin down in some panels. Given that much of this issue takes place at night, it feels like a missed opportunity that the aliens and characters are colored with no shadow or darkness. The art can sometimes look clunky or awkward, like the full-page splash above. Great detail in the boat and framing, but the alien looks oddly large there, and what is it standing on?
A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #2 keeps the tension high and the stakes immediate, leaning into survival horror with a steady stream of close calls and mounting danger. Phil Hester continues to build a believable small-town dynamic, while Ryan Kelly delivers strong environmental detail and effective creature work. A few visual choices hold it back from fully landing, but the issue still delivers a gripping follow-up, keeping the story moving at a brisk pace.
You must be logged in to post a comment.