Review – Penny Dreadful #2 (Titan Comics)

Publisher: Titan Comics
Writer: Andrew Hinderaker, Chris King, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Artist: Louie De Martinis
Release Date: 29th June 2016

Previously, on Penny Dreadful… Vanessa, Sir Malcolm and Sembene faced vampires as they hunt for clues into Mina’s disappearance. They find the best clue of all; Jonathan Harker, her husband. In this episode Mina uses her powers to look into Jonathan’s mind for clues to what happened, only to find that there are disturbing blanks. The relationship between Mina and her father, Sir Malcolm, is also explored further and we find that there is no love lost between him and Jonathan.

This issue suffers from the not uncommon “second issue blues”. It’s still a good exploration of the characters from the magnificent TV series. It’s also wonderfully illustrated. It’s just a bit flat and feels like it’s only really there to set up issue three.

It’s not that nothing happens – Krysty Wilson-Cairns give us more background and a decent pinch of vampire slaying – but knowing that the main characters here are safe until they’re not in the TV series means that there isn’t that same impending sense of peril that all great horror stories have.

Louie De Martinis’ art is still magnificent, though. It’s dynamic, dark, scratchy and cinematic. And as for the colours. Just WOW! They zing.

The first issue of Penny Dreadful was excellent. This second issue, isn’t up to that heady standard, but it isn’t awful by any means. Issue 3 looks promising.

Rating: 3.5/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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