Wraith - Welcome to Christmasland #2

Writer - Joe Hill Art - CP Wilson III, Jay Fotos What the heck just happened? Wraith #1 came out last month, giving us a glimpse into the past of Charles Talent Manx III, antagonist of Joe Hill's N0S4A2 novel from this past summer. The second installment takes a hard left turn into completely new territory. Wraith #2 introduces us to a handful of new characters, all seeming to have nothing to do with the source 's story. On its own merits, this is a fun story with the overall tone of Joe Hill's work in place. The dialogue has the roughness and just past the edge of indecency skew that we've come to expect from him. While the titular Wraith does eventually make an appearance, I had been brought far enough out of the Christmasland story that I wasn't expecting the ending. The art matches the tone of the work. There are equal parts standard story progression and revolting actions, both are hallmarks of Hill and his iconic father. Showing a horror skew to a standard story is where they excel. I'm not sure what will come next, which is somewhat unsettling. Will this be the storyline that carries us through the rest of the series, or is this just another sideshow story in the sick life of Manx? The Verdict... Even without the Christmasland aspect, this was a fun story. Easily something that would be at home in a book of Hill's short stories. In the comic medium it exceeds the previous wordy installment. I'm a completist and I really enjoy Hill's work with IDW. I'm in for the duration.