The first issue of Bronze Faces set up one of the more intriguing premises I’ve seen in a comic: a group of thieves who steal not for profit or glory, but to bring back treasures to their native Nigeria. What made it work is that the creative team of Shobo, Shof, and Alexandre Tefenkgi delivered a story full of complex characters and weren’t afraid to explore the culture gap. Bronze Faces #2 continues this trend, but shifts the settings and the characters.
This time, the thieves are far more skilled: one of them used to be ex-SAS, while another’s a legit criminal. But it also shows how Timi, Sango, and Gbonka’s heist in the first issue has spread to inspire others. Shobo and Shof haven’t been shy about how legacy is a huge part of this book, especially when it comes to reclaiming one’s culture, so it only makes sense that people would be inspired by the theft.
Shobo and Shof’s script also shakes up the location. Instead of robbing a museum, this time the trio of thieves is robbing the Chappal Waddi Horse Race, a train ride that is also home to an auction for some of the world’s most priceless artifacts. A modern day train robbery is something I’d never thought I’d see in a comic, but the duo pen a thrilling tale that jumps across time periods and features twists that would put Ocean’s 11 to shame.
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Changing the setting allows Tefenkgi to design a whole new host of characters for Bronze Faces #2. There’s a spoiled heiress/influencer who turns out to be integral to the plot, a chef who makes Gordon Ramsay look like a sweetheart, and a dogged detective who tracks down the protagonists. Said protagonists are the biggest draw of the book, thanks to their unique masks. Not only do the masks allow them to hold onto their heritage, they also are eloquently designed under Tefenkgi’s pencils, sporting details like horns and red ribbons.
Tefenkgi’s artwork is enhanced by the work of Lee Loughridge and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, whose colors and letters make Bronze Faces #2 just as much of a visual feast as the previous issue. Otsmane-Elhaou makes sure every sound effect leaps out and catches the reader’s attention, whether it’s the rattling of wine glasses or the chugging of an engine. Loughridge’s colors also bring life to the world around the characters; the warm reddish glow of the train’s interior is a sharp contrast to the cold blue of the thieves’ hideout.
Bronze Faces #2 might have changed a few details, but the excitement of its initial pitch still stands. What’s next, robbing a plane? A bank? Whatever it is, this creative team is bound to deliver both adrenaline thrills and emotional chills.
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