Comic Review: Undiscovered Country #2 (Image Comics)

With issue 2 of Image’s Undiscovered Country, we find ourselves somewhat trapped within the remains of the old United States.

It’s all been somewhat said in issue one, but basically, the US shut its borders and stopped communication with the rest of the world about 3 decades ago. Things were rough, disease was rampant and trade deficits were plentiful.

As the foreign visitors to the US are now hiding in an old mine, pursued by bad guys, it’s time for back story and characterization to emerge. So, we get to know the crowd a little, and people speak up in defense of venturing out into the desert to hit the road. Some think this is a bad idea. Discussions occur, but the committee doesn’t break up into small groups to further examine the issue. Yet.

It’s a mix of back story, people trapped in a room, and varying opinions. There are bad guys, who want something. Should we talk with them over lunch, or go and kill them? Let’s discuss.

Of course, I’m exaggerating, but Scott Snyder and Charles Soule have left a lot of the drama undiscovered. The concepts are stellar. The opportunities are vast. They are uncovering these diamonds of drama, dusting them off and examining them, but it’s not moving quickly enough for me. I, like Yosemite Sam, have paid my two bits and want to see the High Diving Act! Enough dillydallying, let’s rock!

Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Daniele Orlandini with colouring by Matt Wilson do much to pull this dense storyline out of the shadows and into visual drama. The creatures are imaginative, the colours are vivid, but the script needs a LOT more movement. The second issue is caught in The Story Slowdown Spiral, so let’s hope the third issue gets its trajectory skyward.

The issue contains 24 pages of comic and seven (7) additional pages of explanation and character sketches.

Image, Undiscovered Country #2, $3.99 for 24 pages of comic reading. Assume Teen +