Furious #2

By Bryan J. L. Glass & Victor Santos

While the first installment in Furious didn’t quite do it for me personally, it was previously stated this series was bound to pick up. Well, only a single issue later and we’re really getting somewhere! Furious #2 was jam-packed with both exciting action and interesting backstory, and some important steps were taken towards really digging into the deeper plot.

In the latest issue, the backstory of Cadence Lark is fleshed out a lot more and we really begin to understand the pain and the pressure she grew up contending with. The writing is beautifully insightful and really allows the reader to feel even more respect for this young character given everything she has endured and all of the growing up she’s had to do. This aspect of the story really helps convey Cady’s true depth of character, something that had previously felt slightly lacking. While the authorities being wary of the world’s first superhero is nothing new in comic books, there’s something that makes this aspect feel slightly different in Furious #2. The extent to which the police are willing to go to deal with the protagonist was actually fairly shocking and added an interesting additional dimension to the book. Cady is also finally getting the hang of the extent of her powers and how they operate, which again provides another intriguing undercurrent to the overall story. Overall, this issue was largely about really beginning to develop the main character with much greater depth, and Bryan Glass certainly achieved this with high precision. Finally, a mysterious new character has been introduced, albeit in a relatively cryptic manner. There are some hints as to who this new player could actually be, but we’ll have to wait until future issues to find out!

The artwork in Furious #2, while maybe not as detailed or intricate as Victor Santos’ previous work, is actually quite well-suited to the overall story. There are definitely scenes where the relatively cartoonish appearance clashes with some of the deeper moments in the book, but as a whole Santos again shows he is capable of great adaptation regarding his overall style. This series has a visual sensibility that feels like a silver-age book at times, which works very well for most of Furious #2, although there were also some panels and splash pages that were much more detailed and vibrant which enhanced the impact of each of these scenes. Furthermore, there were some great panel layouts and overall designs in this latest installment, particularly during the shootout which felt very cinematic in its execution.

Alright, so we’ve all seen comic books that deal with a “first superhero” type of story. However, Furious has begun to show that there is a lot more depth behind the character which makes for quite a compelling read regardless of genre. Furious #2 was a very “full” book that was immensely satisfying, and the story within has really started to barrel forward. A lot happened in the world of Cadence Lark this month and it will be interesting to see how things turn out.