S.C.A.R.L.E.T.T. # 2 of 4 Review

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S.C.A.R.L.E.T.T. Heavy is the Head # 2 of 4 Review

Story/Art - Terence Sykes

Story - D.M. Eason

Colors/Effects - Regal

Review by Fernando Lyons

When we last saw Mitchell Coltrane (see our review of S.C.A.R.L.E.T.T. #1), he had eliminated his predecessor, and had claimed the mantle of the one and only S.C.A.R.L.E.T.T. operative. The assassination, however, left him with several unanswered questions related to his latest mission and the organization for which he operates. As the story picks up with this issue, Coltrane is still dealing with issues in his personal life related to his daughter and her mother, Miriam. His best friend, Sapp, is becoming increasingly suspicious of, and inquisitive into, Coltrane’s recent behavior and professional activities. To further complicate things, the FBI’s five year ‘Wraith Killer’ investigation is ramping up, which will apparently inconvenience Coltrane with even more unwanted attention.

Issue number one is just as captivating (if not more so) than the first issue. This issue starts off fast, with the abduction of the Chief Justice’s daughter. The abductors’ (who are somehow associated with a previous S.C.A.R.L.E.T.T. target) plan is to use the hostage as a political bargaining chip, in order persuade a key political figure to vote down a proposed assault weapons bill. A political element has now been added to an already suspenseful and intelligent story. The story is unfolding rather nicely.

There is a disturbing dream sequence that provides good insight into Coltrane’s psyche, and the mental toll that recent life events have taken on him. This scene is handled artfully and magnificently, and succeeds in adding a good level of depth and humanity to the character. Speaking of the character’s humanity, recent events have also taken a physical toll on Coltrane, as he is also suffering from bumps and bruises he received in his last mission. It may seem like a trivial thing, but the simple fact that a comic book character can be hurt and sustain physical and mental damage through subsequent issues adds to his believability and relatability. Once again, Terence Sykes and D.M. Eason have done an excellent job in crafting a very good story and developing a great title character.

As with issue number one, the art style compliments the story. The characters’ faces express the appropriate level of drama and emotion for each scene, and a good sense of motion is portrayed in each panel. Since most of the scenes take place in the daytime, the style is a little less gritty than in issue number one, which provides an opportunity for Regal’s colors to really pop. The visuals were very good overall, but if I have to nitpick, I will say that there were a few panels that did not reflect the same level of visual quality and detail reflected through most of the issue.

If you have read the first issue, then picking up a copy of S.C.A.R.L.E.T.T. number two is a no-brainer. This issue has a good flow, and does an excellent job of building on the story and further developing the characters. While issue number two can stand on its own, you will be able to better understand the characters and appreciate the story if you read issue number one before picking this one up.