House Amok #2 Review

Writer: Christopher Sebela
Artist: Shawn McManus
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Black Crown

I enjoyed how unique the first issue of House Amok was, especially it's big reveal in the end. I am glad to see that Christopher Sebela is keeping up that excitement and originality. This second issue continues the very interesting story about a family determined to destroy all of the microchipped people that are being controlled by the Gods.

I really like that Sebela has the story narrated by Dylan, one of the twins that is on this mission with her family. Her perspective as an outsider is so important to what makes this issue work. We know that this family has gone crazy with this fictional idea and Dylan is staying along for the ride because she believes that she must stay with her family.

Her struggle to make sense of the situation is what makes this story so engaging because we are also trying to make sense of how her family all bought into this idea. Her battle to not see her family as bad people is also a fantastic dynamic because, again, we are also doing that.

Shawn McManus contributes one of the most important things about this issue with his haunting artwork. The story is distressing but I don’t know that I would think that the tone is as bleak if it wasn’t for McManus perfectly illustrating that misery and Lee Loughridge amazingly coloring that desperation. These two artists have a very interesting way of visually making this fictional story very scarily real.

The first issue of this series was full of non-stop excitement for me which made me have very high expectations going into this second issue. Fortunately, those expectations were met but I did find this issue’s pace to be slightly slower than the first. I think that the slower pace can definitely work for the entire rest of this series because Sebela is a great writer.

Besides that, both issues of House Amok beautifully tell a bizarre and unsettling story of a troubled family. It feels like there is still so much depth to this story and these characters and I am very anxious to get to the bottom of it all.