The debut issue of Rat City was a departure from previous Spawn stories in many ways: it leapt far into the future, it focuses more on technology and the cost of warfare with very little supernatural elements, and it’s slowly eased the viewer into the setting. Rat City #2 continues this trend by picking up immediately where the first issue left off, as Peter Cairn is confronted by the ghostly image of Spawn. A trip to get his cybernetics fixed soon reveals the extent of Al Simmons’ actions on Peter’s life…and that he’s not the only one possessing a Hellspawn’s powers.
Rat City‘s slow-burn nature may prove to be divisive among readers, but I’m enjoying how the creative team is taking its time to flesh out this futuristic world. Something that really sticks out is how Erica Schultz is having Peter’s journey run parallel to the early issues of the main Spawn title. Peter isn’t fully aware of his powers and is slowly discovering that he’s more than human, while also being part of a conspiracy involving military forces. It’s those slight similarities that remind you this is a Spawn title, and hopefully Schultz continues to walk that line between the familiar and the new. (This also extends to her lettering, which is spot on with the main Spawn titles.)
The other integral part of Rat City‘s narrative is Ze Carlos and boy does he deliver. Carlos gets to draw Peter in his Spawn suit for the first time and it looks unique to this time period. In lieu of chains and fangs, there’s plate armor and prosthetic legs. Yet you can still see those Spawn touches; the skull belt buckle, a flowing red cape and glowing green eyes. Carlos is also pretty adept in drawing some intense action sequences. Toward the middle of the issue, one of Peter’s friends becomes infected with necroplasm and transforms into a hulking mass of fury – an entire page is dedicated to him tearing through a wall, leaving nothing but scrap metal in his wake.
One major change from Rat City #1 to Rat City #2 involves the color art; this time Jay David Ramos handles sole coloring duties. That’s fine in my book, given that his mix of bright neon and darker hues are the perfect fit for a futuristic setting. Rat City #2 continues to flesh out the world of this new Spawn, with the ending hinting at more chaos and carnage to come for Peter Cairn.
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