Rumble #2
Welcome to Rathraq's realm
Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: James Harren
Publisher: Image
In this second issue of the new, Image published, Arcudi helmed book about a vengeful scarecrow god, we see a lot but learn very little.
I had a lukewarm reception to the first issue of this book but I wanted to get my hands on this one as quickly as possible because I have a lot of faith in Arcudi as a Hellboy fan. This issue pays off more than that first one but it also introduces some frustrating and cryptic elements that are hard to ignore.
Bobby, our main human character thus far, is fleshed out a bit more to an effective degree as he becomes an active player in the narrative instead of an impartial third party in Rathraq’s mysterious revenge quest. Arcudi eschews the proto-typical buddy cop scenario between this scarecrow demi-god and this half-witted human that seems obvious which I appreciate. There’s a lot of humor here too with a non-conventional fantastical appeal like something out of Bowie’s performance in Labyrinth: dark, monstrous and ultimately witty in an off center kind of way.
There’s a lot of story elements that are confusing or unfinished including a giant cat, a multi-headed serpent dog and Rathraq’s true purpose here but I have faith that these muddled or unfished elements will come together soon enough. It’s frustrating now, yes, but it clearly needs to be given time. Nothing feels like it’s thrown in for the sake of it just yet, despite how sporadic or scatterbrained it may feel.
Harren’s art is other-worldly and fits the dark but humor-laden tone of the story perfectly. His sense of presence is impressive, the scarecrow itself being an imposing and frightening but approachable character. I look forward to more of his inspired monster designs too, as long as they stay away from the Hellboy or BPRD elements that Arcudi is sure to bring to the table as a story writer and crafter (this isn’t to say I don’t love those books, I just want Rumble to feel different from them and so far it is).
Rumble isn’t really here or there yet. It has interesting characters, fun and believable dialogue, dark and humorous elements and, a muddled plot. I wouldn’t jump on board just yet unless you have faith in these creators or are truly curious.
Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: James Harren
Publisher: Image
In this second issue of the new, Image published, Arcudi helmed book about a vengeful scarecrow god, we see a lot but learn very little.
I had a lukewarm reception to the first issue of this book but I wanted to get my hands on this one as quickly as possible because I have a lot of faith in Arcudi as a Hellboy fan. This issue pays off more than that first one but it also introduces some frustrating and cryptic elements that are hard to ignore.
Bobby, our main human character thus far, is fleshed out a bit more to an effective degree as he becomes an active player in the narrative instead of an impartial third party in Rathraq’s mysterious revenge quest. Arcudi eschews the proto-typical buddy cop scenario between this scarecrow demi-god and this half-witted human that seems obvious which I appreciate. There’s a lot of humor here too with a non-conventional fantastical appeal like something out of Bowie’s performance in Labyrinth: dark, monstrous and ultimately witty in an off center kind of way.
There’s a lot of story elements that are confusing or unfinished including a giant cat, a multi-headed serpent dog and Rathraq’s true purpose here but I have faith that these muddled or unfished elements will come together soon enough. It’s frustrating now, yes, but it clearly needs to be given time. Nothing feels like it’s thrown in for the sake of it just yet, despite how sporadic or scatterbrained it may feel.
Harren’s art is other-worldly and fits the dark but humor-laden tone of the story perfectly. His sense of presence is impressive, the scarecrow itself being an imposing and frightening but approachable character. I look forward to more of his inspired monster designs too, as long as they stay away from the Hellboy or BPRD elements that Arcudi is sure to bring to the table as a story writer and crafter (this isn’t to say I don’t love those books, I just want Rumble to feel different from them and so far it is).
Rumble isn’t really here or there yet. It has interesting characters, fun and believable dialogue, dark and humorous elements and, a muddled plot. I wouldn’t jump on board just yet unless you have faith in these creators or are truly curious.
A Look Inside
