The first issue of Kevin Schwoer’s The Signal proved to be a finely balanced mix of thriller, mystery & sci-fi but after a long hiatus with some changes to the creative team, the second issue became a reality earlier this year.
The government machine is till in motion with it’s secret preparations keeping a whole team of agents, scientists & other personnel busy and the shadow that casts is still closing in on Annie after the events of the opener. She’s on the move though and after a brief visit to her sister’s the chase is on as she tries to make sense of the things she has learned about what the “Signal” represents.
It’s all misdirection from here from both Annie and the government agents trying to keep those preparations on-track and the addition of a countdown to the “Arrival” makes sure that we’re still building to a bit of a bigger reveal. The titular signal is still key for everyone involved and with the reveal of what could well be it’s source there’s still more surprises to come as this issue closes out.
Kevin has built on the successes of the first issue by keeping the finer details just out of our reach and instead opting to keep the mystery intact while stating to give us a little more to keep us hooked. Throwing just enough suspense and surprises our way keeps the momentum behind the well-paced plot with the only real issue being some of the longer sections of dialogue that threaten to disrupt that flow but he does manage to escape that thanks to returning letterer Toben Racicot.
The visuals for this second issue have been picked up by Jeremy Megert on art & Tanya Wicker on colours and thankfully it’s a smooth transition that really helps maintain the success from that first issue. The pages glow from that combination and given the themes of secrecy & mystery this really helps build an atmosphere around the events that are unfolding.
This six-part series already had a solid foundation and while it may have been some time since the first issue, there’s still a ton of potential present to make sure the rest of the story is something I feel I want to read. The change in creative team has gone so well that I’m hoping to see more of this soon and the balance of gradual plot-reveals & slick set pieces is a definite win for The Signal.
Keep tabs on what’s next from The Signal over on the titles website & Instagram pages and get a hold of the issues so far over on Comixology.
7/10
G-Man
COMICS ANONYMOUS 