Roche Limit Clandestiny #2

by Michael Moreci, Kyle Charles and Matt Battaglia

The first story arc of Roche Limit from Michael Moreci ended with a bang, quite literally, and it was unclear just what would come next. With the new arc of the space story, Moreci has a whole new cast of characters including the creative team on the title. After touching down on a new planet last issue, the crew looks to find out just what in the world is going on with the note they found and not lose their heads while doing so. Clandestiny #2 is a tense and engaging second issue that does not quite clue readers in to its direction just yet.

The crew of the third expedition have been separated and in the opening pages of this second issue, Moreci handles the sequencing fantastically. Elbus’s crew is not alone and they keep a tactical position amongst each other in an attempt to stave off whatever is circling them. It’s a really fantastic series of events, even beyond the break in tension. New artists to this arc, Charles and Battaglia, bring a different caliber to Roche Limit, but it works well. The finish still employs a raw feel as was present in the first arc; still there is a difference in the presentation, and so far, it is a great fit for the story. Throughout the issue, as the characters stumble upon new areas, Charles is tasked with developing different aspects of this new environment and some of his choices are really strong.

With the other part of the expedition, the team is still attempting to understand just who this new companion is. Introduced at the end of issue one with a serious ominous tone, the android character Danny is an added bit of mystery. Similar to events occurring with Elbus’s team, these crew members are suddenly in danger before Danny appears. If one this is consistent across the entirety of this first issue it is that the suspense and immediacy of the pacing in the issue is consistent and impressive throughout. There are some really strange moments that look to build on the elements being laid in these early chapters as Kim awakes, seeing a very distorted view of reality. Is this simply the result of being knocked unconscious or does the crew have something serious on their hands?

As previously mentioned, the story thus far through issue #2 does not quite give away what is to be expected going forward. That’s not terribly surprising as Moreci’s development of the first arc had very similar technique. For now, the story telling, world building, and suspense present in each of the issues maintain quite enough intrigue to keep things engaging. Moreci uses back matter to fill out the world building even more and slowly readers are beginning to get a picture of the larger world. Charles and Battaglia have fit into the world of Roche Limit rather well and their additions to the story are a major factor in the effectiveness so far.