Archangel 8 #2
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: CP Smith
Colours: Snakebite Cortez
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Before reading our review of Archangel 8 #2 check out our interviews with writer Michael Moreci and artist CP Smith about Archangel 8, both of whom were kind enough to talk to CTG this week about Archangel 8. Then check out our review of #2 and see if it lives up to the 10/10 of the debut issue.
Archangel 8 #1 was one of those rare first issues that make you sit up and take notice. A dark and gritty hardboiled story which is a perfect amalgamation of outstanding story, gorgeous art, with mood setting colours, it was a fantastic introduction to a violent world of criminals and Angels. Does the second issue manage to continue this trend of excellence established in the first issue? Yes, making it look easy in the process. Moreci, Smith and Cortez make a fantastic creative team, and each issue comes across extremely confident and well-polished. AWA have already marked themselves a publisher to watch, for many a reason, and Archangel 8 is without a doubt one of their best comic series.
The violence is brutal and over the top, the art not shying away for an instance. It’s graphic, in your face and really sets the tone. This second issue follows 8 as he chases up the lead he got in the last issue, as we’re slowly learning more about the other characters who were lurking in the background in the first issue. The femme fatale. The crime lord. The mysterious Angel who's been pulling the strings. A host of interesting and intriguing characters which make the story a pleasure to read.
The Angel side of things is never really in your face. If it wasn’t for the title, the reveal at the conclusion of the last issue, and the names of some of the characters you wouldn’t even know we were dealing with Angels. The mythos is introduced slowly and without unnecessary exposition. Masterfully done it lets the story flow a lot more organically than it might otherwise and is another strength of this series so far.
Michael Moreci’s writing reads like a classic hard-boiled story. Tonally it feels similar to the Punisher or Hellblazer, fans of either are sure to love this series. And while we’ve barely scraped the surface of the deep mythos he’s created here it’s incredibly intriguing and a world that deserves to be deeply explored. There is a lot of history at play here between the characters and it would be a real injustice not to get a chance to discover more of it.
Then there’s CP Smiths incredible art. From the moment you open the first page it’s clear he has a style that is perfect for the story being told. It captures the grim setting in exquisite detail, the violence is appropriately over the top, and there’s a real sense of realism in his work. The best comics are down to fantastic collaboration between writer and artist and Moreci and Smith make a fantastic duo.
And to top all that off we have Snakebite Cortez’s colours. Every bit as important as the writing or art, Smith’s art wouldn’t have half the impact without Cortez’s colours. They make the artwork come to life on the page, there is a level of gritty detail in the colours which goes above and beyond, which really adds to the realism of the comic. Smith and Cortez manage to create a style that is incredibly unique, effective and stands out from the crowd. This is some of the best art that’s been in any release this year. This comic has style in spades and so much of that comes down to the fantastic job with the art.
Archangel 8 is shaping up to be one of the most stylised comics of the year. This is a phenomenal comic that will appeal to fans of the Punisher or Hellblazer. A rich mythos that begs to be explored, gorgeous artwork which will pull readers in, and an incredible hardboiled story that comes together to produce an outstanding comic. Highly recommended.
Artist: CP Smith
Colours: Snakebite Cortez
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Before reading our review of Archangel 8 #2 check out our interviews with writer Michael Moreci and artist CP Smith about Archangel 8, both of whom were kind enough to talk to CTG this week about Archangel 8. Then check out our review of #2 and see if it lives up to the 10/10 of the debut issue.
Archangel 8 #1 was one of those rare first issues that make you sit up and take notice. A dark and gritty hardboiled story which is a perfect amalgamation of outstanding story, gorgeous art, with mood setting colours, it was a fantastic introduction to a violent world of criminals and Angels. Does the second issue manage to continue this trend of excellence established in the first issue? Yes, making it look easy in the process. Moreci, Smith and Cortez make a fantastic creative team, and each issue comes across extremely confident and well-polished. AWA have already marked themselves a publisher to watch, for many a reason, and Archangel 8 is without a doubt one of their best comic series.
The violence is brutal and over the top, the art not shying away for an instance. It’s graphic, in your face and really sets the tone. This second issue follows 8 as he chases up the lead he got in the last issue, as we’re slowly learning more about the other characters who were lurking in the background in the first issue. The femme fatale. The crime lord. The mysterious Angel who's been pulling the strings. A host of interesting and intriguing characters which make the story a pleasure to read.
The Angel side of things is never really in your face. If it wasn’t for the title, the reveal at the conclusion of the last issue, and the names of some of the characters you wouldn’t even know we were dealing with Angels. The mythos is introduced slowly and without unnecessary exposition. Masterfully done it lets the story flow a lot more organically than it might otherwise and is another strength of this series so far.
Michael Moreci’s writing reads like a classic hard-boiled story. Tonally it feels similar to the Punisher or Hellblazer, fans of either are sure to love this series. And while we’ve barely scraped the surface of the deep mythos he’s created here it’s incredibly intriguing and a world that deserves to be deeply explored. There is a lot of history at play here between the characters and it would be a real injustice not to get a chance to discover more of it.
Then there’s CP Smiths incredible art. From the moment you open the first page it’s clear he has a style that is perfect for the story being told. It captures the grim setting in exquisite detail, the violence is appropriately over the top, and there’s a real sense of realism in his work. The best comics are down to fantastic collaboration between writer and artist and Moreci and Smith make a fantastic duo.
And to top all that off we have Snakebite Cortez’s colours. Every bit as important as the writing or art, Smith’s art wouldn’t have half the impact without Cortez’s colours. They make the artwork come to life on the page, there is a level of gritty detail in the colours which goes above and beyond, which really adds to the realism of the comic. Smith and Cortez manage to create a style that is incredibly unique, effective and stands out from the crowd. This is some of the best art that’s been in any release this year. This comic has style in spades and so much of that comes down to the fantastic job with the art.
Archangel 8 is shaping up to be one of the most stylised comics of the year. This is a phenomenal comic that will appeal to fans of the Punisher or Hellblazer. A rich mythos that begs to be explored, gorgeous artwork which will pull readers in, and an incredible hardboiled story that comes together to produce an outstanding comic. Highly recommended.
A Look Inside
