I was looking forward to Arclight #2 after having a solid reading experience with the first issue. Unfortunately, I found it to be more in line with a vast majority of new titles from Image this year, in that I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of “meh.” I’ve lost track of how many Image series this year I’ve stopped reading after the second issue. I’ve managed to struggle through a few, but I don’t know what it is with these new books that isn’t retaining my attention. I’m beginning to think that the world building in the first issue is too clever and rich and that it robs the second issue of anything worth telling. It’s like the opposite of a TV show in which you watch a crappy pilot to get better episodes later. This issue is fairly easy to sum up. We see how our lady became made of tree branches and see that her body is in fact still walking around and leading a nation. There is a bit of sadness as her husband is unaware of her not being in her body, but the mystery of who is… well that’s not really touched on other than you just naturally wondering after reading it.
There’s a pretty long scene with some death priests that while interesting in concept was kind of quick and loose in execution. Marian Churchland’s action sequences are choppy as there’s a start and finish, but rarely anything of substance in-between. I still really enjoy the art. The character designs are different from the vast majority of comics and the world itself is beautiful to look at. I just wasn’t drawn to the story as much this time around.
Maybe it’s the whole “body switch” mystery that’s been done so many times that there’s really nothing interesting to do with it. Even if it’s just a part of her personality that’s been displaced or something, it’s just old hat. I still like the rest of the world that Brandon Graham has created, but he’s not going into any depth with it. Which is fine. He doesn’t have to, but there’s such a focus on it that if you’re not given some depth you’re likely to just stop caring about what’s being shown to you.
“Oh that’s cool, but you’re never going to explain it so who cares?”
I imagine is how the thought process will go.
I’ll probably check out the next issue, but frankly I didn’t enjoy this issue enough to put in the time effort to read it with there being so many other titles published currently. I mean there’s a ton out and more coming so why stick with something I’m so wishy washy about?
Score: 3/5
8House – Arclight #2 Writer: Brandon Graham Artist: Marian Churchland Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 8/5/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital