My anticipation for this issue was pretty intense. With as much as I liked the first one, that’s not that strange. Luckily, Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid deliver once again. But let’s get to the good stuff. This issue picks up exactly where the first one left off… so to speak. If you remember, The Fox meets Queen of Diamonds at the end of the first issue. She tells him that she desperately needs his help and then it just kind of ends. We were left with a cliffhanger that would be the complete motivation for this month’s story. This Queen of Diamonds character is a hoot. Mark Waid has written her dialogue to resemble (from what I can remember about the people) an eastern European person trying very hard but failing miserably to speak English. Let’s just say that it takes The Fox a minute to completely understand what is needed of him. Well he’s not really in a position to offer the kind of help that is required of him and he tries to get away from her. It’s not that simple. I don’t think that he’s really got a choice in the matter.

Mark Waid’s script this month is really interesting due in most part to the wacky way that Queen of Diamonds delivers her dialogue. I’ve never read anything like this before. Of course, The Fox’s reactions while listening to her talk were just as great. I actually had to re-read a few bubbles to make sure that I understood it to the best of my ability. It wasn’t easy. I liked that, though. Just like last month, it made me laugh. This could quite possibly be my go to book when it comes to classic superhero action with lighthearted dialogue. That’s pretty rare already as it is.

Dean Haspiel’s art is just as good as it was last month, but this issue has some pretty trippy looking stuff in it. It doesn’t really take place in a conventional setting, which makes it really cool to look at. Allen Passalaqua’s colors really popped in this issue. Combined, these two guys really brought something special. I really don’t want to spoil anything when it comes to what you can expect, but I promise that you’ll be visually entertained.

The only beef that I have with this book today is that I could have really lived without the backup story. I love when publishers cram as much content into their books each month, but I found that story really boring. I tried to separate it from the main story, but I was so drained after reading it that it actually will prevent me from giving this issue a perfect score. Sorry, folks. I’d rather The Fox have longer stories with the other stuff left out. That’s what I look forward to paying for. That seemed harsh, I know, but I didn’t want the score to confuse anyone after I had such good things to say overall. Anyway, The Fox is a keeper this month. Pick it up.

Score: 4/5 

Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Dean Haspiel Publisher: Archie/Red Circle Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 12/4/13