Static: Shadows of Dakota #2 – Nikolas Draper-Ivey/Vita Ayala, Writers; Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Artist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Last issue’s premiere for the second season of Static raised the stakes nicely, pitting Static against a ruthless army of Bang Baby-hunters looking to capture the young metahumans. It also set up the arrival of Static’s main villain—the shadowy Bang Baby ganglord Ebon, in a terrifying segment. Much of the credit of just how good this issue was is due to new series artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey, who kicks things off in a big way this issue with an incredibly eerie segment featuring the hapless villain Rubber-Band Man being tortured in a lab. It’s clear that this is a larger operation targeting Bang Babies—and now they’re going to be gathered in one place, as Static’s efforts to help them have backfired. His father is opening a new community center solely for this disenfranchised group—and many of the young metas are gathering there for the opening celebration, including Static himself.
This issue does a good job of covering the balance between Static’s two lives, especially when it comes to him trying to be a good mentor to his young charge Quincy. Quincy is also a Bang Baby, as is a teenage girl he meets this issue—and both are now targets. The villains seem to be using tech-enhanced soldiers, but the main villain here is still shrouded and hasn’t been revealed yet. This issue didn’t quite have anything as great as last issue’s Ebon reveal, but the action continues to be tense and enjoyable, and the creative team is doing a good job of shaking up the status quo from the previous run. It seems like one character, Virgil’s best friend Freida, may be leaving the series to study abroad, while others may be joining the cast. Despite all the familiar characters, there’s a sense of uncertainty to everything here. This isn’t a world where heroes are protected—it’s a world where they’re target #1.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
