By Garrett Hanneken

We last saw our “hero” Joe Chamberlain become engulfed in flames as he transformed into the destructive Brimstone. Picking up right after, this issue shows the aftermath of his encounter with the mysterious salesman while giving the reader a slight insight into the bigger picture.  As a result, we learn more about this curse that has only just begun.

The issue begins with Joe waking up in his own house to discover that his sister found him in the middle of the street. What we thought to be a nightmare turns out to be a reality. The town did catch fire because of Joe, but it has stopped due to a snowstorm. Disoriented as to what occurred, Joe and his sister, Annie, investigate into this elusive salesman. As it turns out, the salesman has gone from town to town infecting citizens with a different curse causing disasters that have been dubbed environmental incidents by the media.

Taking this into account, the background information we get about the salesman puts a little more intrigue on his motives. I found myself enjoying the issue more when the comic decided to focus on the salesman rather than Joe. As I said before in my previous review of issue #1, I do not find Joe a likable character due to his tendency to mope in his own faults. Fortunately, this issue eases up on the brooding character and, instead, fuels Joe with anger. This infuriating state that we find Joe in better suits the character, and I can only hope that this fury will be a reoccurring topic in the series.

The artwork is a slight step up from the previous issue as well. It is able to give the reader a feel for the environment. However, because the town is mostly covered in snow it makes the scenery a little easier to capture the outlook. Despite the blue snowy scenes, I will applaud the page that showcased the varying towns and the disasters they succumbed to.

When it comes to reviewing art, I know it can be subjective and what may be visually pleasing to some may not be for others. Considering this, I am just not a big fan of the art as a whole for this comic. The character designs for Brimstone and the icy antagonist in this issue don’t have any distinct features that I like. The two appear to be bland with one main difference setting them apart: there is a red aura surrounding Brimstone and a blue aura surrounding the frosty villain.

The Curse of Brimstone #2 is a step up from the previous issue with a more fleshed out environment and a slight improvement on the main character’s demeanor. But despite these improvements, this comic is still struggling to make a statement on its rural setting while not forgetting to make the characters just as important.

Score: 3/5

The Curse of Brimstone #2

DC Comics