By Sam King

Tinseltown #2 picks up where #1 left off and is the second in a five-issue limited series. This is another one of Alterna Comics current titles, and it is one of the most enjoyable thus far. The story isn’t as gripping this time around by comparison to the first issue, but we are still progressing. There is still a lot of good potential swirling around in this series.

When we left off last time, Abigail found herself in a highly dramatic situation. A guy was standing on a tall building, ready to jump off. We pick up with Abby climbing up to see if she can do anything to help. Later she learns how to shoot a gun, starts getting to know a guy on the lot, and we get some suspicious circumstances. While the opening is really interesting, the rest of the issue kind of mellows out. We get some slow development, changing up the pace, which may be a good thing in the long run. We still see the conflict that Abby feels when she sees actual policewomen and compares herself to them. She still isn’t fully satisfied with her position, but she is trying to make the most of it and be helpful. It seems like she’s trying her best to still be as helpful and serious about the position as she can, despite being on a Hollywood lot putting on a show.

There are several elements added into this issue that will be interesting to follow, like where her friend is and who the cowboys she’s hanging out with are. They may not be relevant later, but at this point, they could definitely be a big piece of the story. The thing I like most about this series so far, beyond the setting/time of the story, is the details. We know quite a bit about several of the characters, main and background, just from what they say. There is more happening behind the scenes, and it all feels very relevant, such as the exchange with the man who was ready to jump. Abby is also a character that feels worth rooting for. It is easy to sympathize with her and her ability to view the opening situation the way she did was very well done. I like Abby, and I hope things go well for her.

The series is still in its beginnings, so there isn’t a big kick up as far as action goes just yet, but something tells me that within the next issue things will get interesting. I’m hoping for some actual police work to creep into Abby’s life that might eventually allow her to hit the big-time career-wise. For the price, this story has great value thus far.

I like the art so far. It isn’t overly bright or too shadowed. There is a balance in panels when it comes to colored focus and shadow. I also like that the faces seem to have some of the old Hollywood charm to them. I like the “costume design” choices since they fit the setting well. I also like where the fashion gets pushed, like in the parade where the police uniform is “skimpy” despite not being so by our terms. Looking on it now, that would seem like a silly adjective to use. At the time, it would have potentially been a little scandalous, so the contrast is very neat to see. The art also has very stylistic cinematic choices when it comes to framing and sound effect letter styling. It feels very pop century at times, without being tacky or gimmicky.

So far, this series is showing a lot of promise, and I am excited to see where the new cliffhanger takes us. The last cliffhanger had a good payoff, so hopefully, the next one will be just as good, if not better! The quality of this story so far makes it the best title I’ve read from Alterna. I think it is definitely worth picking up. The price is low, and the story quality is great, making it a very good value!

Score: 3/5

Tinseltown #2
Alterna Comics