After the fantastical and fun opening issue, Sai: Dimensional Rivals #2 brings two new artists in on the fun with Peach Momoko headlining. Sai is on a quest to find a mythical seventh Infinity Stone, and with the help of Galactako, can jump to different dimensions, each of which is drawn by a different artist, naturally. It’s a mix of Jim Henson’s Workshop and superhero adventure.
Sai: Dimensional Rivals #2 opens with Sai falling into water. Much like her other jumps, she’s in a different costume, and this time it’s the classic Psylocke ninja costume. Drawn by Esad Ribic, this is an artist-forward adventure, with awe-inspiring images of Psylocke traversing cliffs and eventually running into the Silver Surfer. The art is exceptionally good, although only four pages long.
From there, Sai wakes up in a field of grass with blue skies above her. She’s back in the original universe she came from, drawn and colored by Peach Momoko. As a kind of reset, Momoko effectively recaps the journey while infusing cuteness and charm, like Sai noshing a fruit and Galactako cutting a hole in reality. With a whole page devoted to Sai flying through interdimensional light, it’s a reminder that this is a visual feast, not necessarily a deep thinker.
Beautiful art in the opening story.
Credit: Marvel
From there, Natacha Bustos takes over for the longest portion of the issue. Sai finds herself in a new costume, this time wearing a school jacket and her samurai clothes underneath. She’s in some kind of school for villains, it turns out, which is a shock to Sai. The question of whether she is a villain or not is broached, and it’s a good question given her past. Bustos keeps your interest up with familiar-looking characters, all redesigned with younger looks. Gorgeously drawn, it ends in a cliffhanger that should be fun to pick up on next issue.
All told, however, this is a fairly thin chapter in the series. All of the art is great, and the jumps in reality make the art changes natural. That said, this is more of a hallway to what’s next rather than a progression in the larger story. Vignettes are fun, but this’ll read better in a collected format, since you can turn the page and get more.
Sai: Dimensional Rivals #2 thrives as an artist showcase, using dimensional jumps as an excuse to let Ribic, Momoko, and Bustos flex in wildly different ways. The transitions feel organic, and each segment delivers a strong visual identity, especially the villain school twist that raises intriguing questions about Sai’s past. Still, the issue reads more like connective tissue than a narrative leap. It is stylish, playful, and imaginative, but the larger quest for the seventh Infinity Stone barely advances. This chapter will likely shine brighter in collected form, where its momentum can flow directly into the next installment.
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