Review – Gate-Way #2 (IDW Publishing)

Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Joe Halpin Sr.
Artist: Juanfrancisco Guerrero
Release Date: 5th February 2014

I know you should never judge a book upon first glance, but Gate-way #2 held my intrigue from the moment I took a look at its front cover.

During a drug bust gone wrong, undercover cop Jake Ryan is killed in the line of duty. He awakens to a strange new world, gathered up by the citizens of a cult-like complex called Hopetown. Jake, along with the other ‘Newborns’ learns of his death, rebirth, and the dangers of the “dark-souls” who prowl the outer streets at night.

Gate-Way #2 is a fast paced read, with all 26 pages passing before your eyes before you know it. The action-packed issue jumps between Jake Ryan’s “Hopetown” experiences and the regular recollections of his time on earth. Comparisons can easily be drawn between the atmosphere of “Hopetown” and the atmosphere in The Walking Dead, with survivalist thoughts at the forefront of each characters mind.

The character of Jake Ryan is the only thing that could possibly let this title down in the long run. There are glimpses of real solid character development in Gateway #2; however, there are also elements of the stereotypical Clint Eastwood-esque ‘one man army’ to the character. An example of this is the scene where Jake wakes up in the middle of the night because “something’s not right” …only to discover that two group members are attempting a robbery.

Artist Juanfrancisco Moyano has also clearly had some fun, making the character look as similar to Charlie Sheen as he possibly could.

Charlie Sheen aside, this is a fantastic issue which has an ending that subtly sets up mass amounts of tension for issue #3. I’ll definitely be buying it.