OLD GUARD: FORCE MULTIPLIED #2
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Leandro Fernandez
Colorist: Daniela Miwa
Letterer: Jodi Wynne
Publisher: Image
Score: 9/10
I'm so glad this series is back as I feel like this is really the first issue to kick things off. The first issue served to introduce any new readers to our main cast and to reintroduce previous readers to the series as I felt it didn't really offer much outside of a random adventure for Andy and Nile but with this second issue, we get more of that awesome Rucka tone and actually move the story forward.
The issue kicks off with an introduction to an FBI agent (named Moose, really Rucka?) that is clearly aware of Andy, Nile and the rest of the group's adventures since we last saw them. He's apparently being fed information by Nile who may or may not have a crush on him. The rest of the crew watches from a van down the street. This portion mostly serves to give the reader a feel for the different personalities that make up the crew as we see a funny exchange between Nicolo and Joe. Next we get some forward movement in the story as we get to catch up with Booker as he's being tortured by a stranger who turns out to be an immortal like our main cast. People may or may not make the connection but in the first series, Andy remembers a woman she used to roll with for a long time early in her life that fell off a ship and never came back up. Andy assumed she was dead but apparently she survived as she clearly is still holding a grudge.
I was really curious to see how Rucka would add any tension if he continued with the series as with our main cast being immortal, it's hard to ever really worry about them. I loved the way he handled it in the previous series and especially with the reveal of Booker being the traitor that kicked off the whole plot. So here having one of them now actively trying to hunt them down makes a lot of sense. The issue wraps up with her confronting Andy and the gang head on so thankfully the plot moves forward very quickly and I'll be looking forward to what comes next.
Leandro Fernandez and Daniela Miwa's art is an absolute treat in this issue; there are some panels that are absolutely gorgeous. The style is definitely more of a european style with the characters and being fairly simple but it's the use of the minimal lines that really stands out. There is a panel where we see our mysterious immortal giving the word to pull Booker out of the water that is jaw dropping and something we don't typically see in comics. It's an approach that maybe someone like David Mack will use in mainstream comics but that's about it. The colors are vibrant when needed, dark and moody when appropriate and out of the way when the dialogue and characters need to shine.
Overall this was a great issue that left me wanting more and I really look forward to what comes next.