Perhaps the least exciting series of the Secret Wars event is back for it’s second issue. Does it manage to improve over the first? Find out below!
Like it’s predecessor, Secret Wars Journal #2 contains a pair of stories. The first, from writer Kevin Maurer and artist Cory smith is a tale set in Killville starring Misty Knight and Paladin in story seemingly inspired by Miami Vice. The two find themselves in a hunt for a rare coin that an alternate version of Kraven the Hunter has released into the population with the promise of a monetary prize for anyone who can find it and return it to him. The second is from writer Simon Spurrier and artist Jonathan Marks, and tells the story of Matt Murdock, working as a chef for Mister Sinister in the Battlworld region known as Bar Sinister. Murdock is madly in love with Sinister’s rare game hunter, Collektra.
The stories here are actually a significant improvement over those from the first issue, in the sense that they are at least cohesive and understandable. The first is still kind of off the wall, and perhaps even unnecessary in the grand scheme of the event, but it’s not completely pointless. The second story in this issue is actually pretty good. It may not add much to the overarching Secret Wars event, but it definitely seems like it was well thought out, and above all else, it was entertaining. It was even a touch emotional, which always adds a little bit of weight to a good story.
The art in both halves of this issue is solid. The first half is slightly cartoonish, but it matches the comedic and 80s style of the story, so it works well. The second story has a much darker and more serious tone and, as expected, the art matches that. There’s also a significant bit of emotion that gets displayed on the character faces in the Murdock/Sinister/Collektra story, and Jonathan Marks handles the artwork really well.
In general, this issue is still nothing fantastic, but that being said, it’s still miles better than the first issue in this mini-series. However, at the end of the day, it still doesn’t save this series from being my least favorite in all of the Secret Wars tie-ins that I’ve read so far.
The Verdict for Secret Wars Journal #2:
3/5 – Meh…
Until next time,
Stay nerdy, my friends.
Upcoming reviews:
Old Man Logan #2 (Secret Wars Tie-In)
Thors #1 (Secret Wars Tie-In)
East of West, Volume 4: Who Wants War TPB
March of the Crabs, Volume 1: The Crabby Condition
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