Food and demons combine in Ram V and Filipe Andrade’s Rare Flavours, a new BOOM! Studios series whose first issue quickly sold out. The second issue is out this week, and it promises more death, demonic intrigue, and recipes. This time, it’s all about mirchi chili pepper, which suits the plot as things heat up.
Rare Flavours #2 opens in a very hot location, quite literally: the desert. Mo is communicating with a driver who is attempting to fix their truck. Rubin Baksh, the demon known as a Rakshasa, sits on top, jotting notes down. We’re immediately pulled into his note-taking via captions which are poetic in their meandering observations.
Before we get a historical backstory on mirchi aka chilis, there’s a nice reminder there are two agents chasing our main characters. They know Rubin is a demon and are hellbent on telling Mo so he can escape his grasp. Their inclusion adds some danger for Rubin, although that is seemingly removed at a certain point. We still don’t know what they can do to Rubin, let alone stop him from killing a single person. What their whole deal is remains a mystery.
Eventually, our characters make it to a field of red chili powder. Their trials through the desert heat were all to see the spicy mirchi in all its splendor. There’s some meaning in all of this, which is largely what this series seems to be about: finding purpose and philosophy in food and life. Tucked away is a recipe for laal maas as well as some surprises.
Credit: BOOM! Studios
Something missing is the actual filming of the documentary. Although we see Mo take a picture and film the red fields a bit, there isn’t as much one-on-one interaction between Rubin and Mo with a camera on him. Instead, Mo speaks philosophically to himself or to Mo. Since the larger purpose is to film a documentary, more about that aspect could go a long way in developing an overarching story.
The surprises are what kick things up a notch in this issue. Rubin still eats humans, but his poetic view on life is clearly keeping him from eating Mo, who we know eventually crafts a documentary out of their adventures. While their efforts were harsh and hot to get to this point, it’s funny Rubin comments the best things in life require effort when his meal of humans seems so easy.
Andrade’s art soars in subtle ways, like the beady solid eyes of Rubin or the way light tinges off Mo’s glasses. The way color is played with adds a sometimes surreal feel to the book, which pairs well with the philosophical waxing of Robin.
Given the repeated cut to Mo watching his documentary in the future, it’s hard to know where this is all going. The waxing of a demon are intriguing, but the conflict is missing since we know Mo makes it out alive. It’s possible some grand truth from Rubin will eventually reveal itself.
Journey into Rare Flavours #2, where we get an inside look at a spicy chili gravy dish as hot as the adventure gets in this very issue. While the narrative continues to lack a central conflict and a definitive direction, the story continues to intrigue as a demon meditates on life and lessons lived.
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