C.O.W.L. #2

By Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel & Rod Reis

This book brings to light what investigator John Pierce discovered at Skylancer’s safe house and how it could shake the foundations of C.OW.L. The other main subplot highlighted is the relationship between Grant Marlow and his son, Jack.

The inaugural issue had a lot of high-octane material that immediately captivated the reader. Now that Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel have their audience hooked, they slow the pace down a bit and focus on character and plot development. Even a relationship so seemingly unimportant as Marlow and his son’s is portrayed with intensity and significance. This is also due to Rod Reis’ ability to paint the strong emotions with well-defined facial expressions.

The other half of the content in this comic alludes to how the current happenings will lead to the story in The League. This book also marks the first appearance of The Sparrow, which Reis subtly places in one panel. It’s a real treat seeing all the mythology that was hinted at in the short film being fleshed out. This socio-political intrigue adds a fascinating layer of subtext that elevates the material.

Rod seems to have leveled up from issue #1. His artwork is already unique, but now it seems much more refined and focused…to think this is only his second issue! One can only imagine how much his talent will be polished by say #10.

C.O.W.L. continues to be on track to be a stellar title. The story and artwork improve with each month’s release and becomes more engrossing as a result. There are only two issues out at the moment, so it’s easy for anyone to pick up. Also, the purchase of Higgins’ short film is highly recommended!