Second Chances #2

Second Chances #2

Image Comics 2021

Written by Ricky Mammone

Illustrated by Max Bertolini

Lettered by DC Hopkins

After navigating the tragedy of the Ramos family, Leblanc is now painfully behind schedule. Desperate for a solution, he is coerced into going on a “date” with his ex-lover, and psychopathic hit-woman, Miss Nobody. Things will most definitely get weird.

I am already a fan of this book and we’re only two issues in. There is something about the premise that is super intriguing and how it is being executed is sensational. The opening is great and just adds and reveals another layer to Leblanc to the man and it really sticks with the reader and leaves you wanting to know more about him. It’s extremely well done and huge kudos for being able to add and reveal at the same time all the while not giving us anything that concrete. There are a few things that happen within this issue that manage to keep the action moving forward, revealing bits and pieces of the characters and just continuing to capture the readers’ attention and creativity with the more that we read. This is so smart and intelligently written and it’s got this incredible vibe to it and all this is thanks to how Ricky manages to utilise his gifts, talent and skill to his advantage.

I’m loving the way that we see this being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exquisitely. The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter is exceptional in bringing us their personalities to the forefront. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we are pulled deeper and deeper in.

I am enjoying how this is being structured and how we see the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. The avenues to explore that are opened up through the layers that we see are magnificently rendered and I have to admit that I am thoroughly enjoying how we see this depth, dimension and complexity added to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is expertly achieved.

I love, love, love Mark’s work on the interiors here. The black & white style is definitely one that few can master this well and what we see and how we see it being done with the various hues and shades of blacks, whites and grays being utilised the way that they are is mindbogglingly brilliant. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques to create this level & quality of detail within the work is extraordinarily well rendered. That backgrounds are so prevalently utilised and how they enhance and expand the moments is beautifully done. They also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.

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Everyone here, okay all three of them, work so well with each other and the work is so synced to each other that it creates this story, these characters and this world and brings it to life with such aplomb. The machinations of the individual characters and how these tie into the main arc are delicious little side notes that excite and thrill the reader with the potential that they bring to the table. This is so smartly and intelligently written with some stellar characterisation and the utterly brilliant interiors make this the surprise hit of the year.