THE HARD PLACE #2
Story: Doug Wagner
Art: Nic Rummel
Colors: Charlie Kirchoff
Publisher: Image Comics
Usually, I’ve seen the first two issues of a new comic series go one of two ways. It can either start out great in the first issue and then give us a dull follow up, or it can start kind of slow, drudging through a back-story, only to surprise us with an amazing sophomore issue. Well, The Hard Place bucked the trend by giving us two incredible issues back to back.
Last month, we left AJ Gurney—fresh out of prison and looking to make it clean—face to face with his old gang in the middle of a bank robbery. To make matters worse, his old comprades take him as hostage, or was it as an accomplice? It gets muddy there. And the other hostage? Well, let’s just say, by pure bad luck, it was the last person they wanted to take.
The action was nonstop. It’s cliché to say, but there really was never a dull moment in this issue. As a reader, you really feel empathy with Gurney as he unwittingly digs himself deeper and deeper into the mess. And as the story goes on, there appears to be less and less of a chance of Gurney escaping this journey unscathed. Again, like last month, we got flashbacks of the accident that led to Gurney’s capture and imprisonment. Wagner is building a story and a world that I can’t wait to see play out.
I have nothing new to say on the artwork. If you want to know more, see my review of issue no. 1, but needless to say, it is unique, brilliant, and perfect for this story.
Another A+ issue from Wagner, Rummel and Kirchoff. Can’t wait to see more.
Art: Nic Rummel
Colors: Charlie Kirchoff
Publisher: Image Comics
Usually, I’ve seen the first two issues of a new comic series go one of two ways. It can either start out great in the first issue and then give us a dull follow up, or it can start kind of slow, drudging through a back-story, only to surprise us with an amazing sophomore issue. Well, The Hard Place bucked the trend by giving us two incredible issues back to back.
Last month, we left AJ Gurney—fresh out of prison and looking to make it clean—face to face with his old gang in the middle of a bank robbery. To make matters worse, his old comprades take him as hostage, or was it as an accomplice? It gets muddy there. And the other hostage? Well, let’s just say, by pure bad luck, it was the last person they wanted to take.
The action was nonstop. It’s cliché to say, but there really was never a dull moment in this issue. As a reader, you really feel empathy with Gurney as he unwittingly digs himself deeper and deeper into the mess. And as the story goes on, there appears to be less and less of a chance of Gurney escaping this journey unscathed. Again, like last month, we got flashbacks of the accident that led to Gurney’s capture and imprisonment. Wagner is building a story and a world that I can’t wait to see play out.
I have nothing new to say on the artwork. If you want to know more, see my review of issue no. 1, but needless to say, it is unique, brilliant, and perfect for this story.
Another A+ issue from Wagner, Rummel and Kirchoff. Can’t wait to see more.
A Look Inside
