Rai #2

By Matt Kindt & Clayton Crain

Rai had a decent debut, nothing that knocked my socks off, but it wasn’t bad. The second issue starts off exactly where we left off, as Rai is in the midst of the Raddies trap and needs Father’s help and guidance to get out.

The first half of this issue is a little slow, which could take readers out of the story. The Raddies continue to be annoying due to their dialect and Rai is still a very wooden hero at this point. Matt Kindt, however, does a good job of building mystery around the murder victim as Rai and Lula attempt to find the buried secrets. We are also introduced to Augustus Silk, who Kindt plays just right, as we try to decide where he stands. Silk is an interesting character in the few panels we get to see him in and we almost find ourselves rooting for him instead of the hero. Kindt turns in a decent issue, but the slow start ruined the exciting finish.

The art is done by Clayton Crain, who brings a lot of energy and electricity to this issue. Crain has perfected his slick style that will no doubt engage readers and enhance their experience. There are many good panels this issue, but Rai busting through a Raddie is hard to top. One of the best things about Crain’s art is the detail and dedication that goes into every panel making this an excellently drawn issue from a wonderful artist.

While the story picked up some this issue, it didn’t get going until half way through. Matt Kindt has gained a little steam and hopefully he can build off of that momentum. The art continues to be fantastic thanks to Crain’s style and effort. Next month has a good buildup for Kindt and Crain to turn in their best issue yet!