John Wards impressive opening issue of Acausal was enough to make sure it would be another of his titles I was going to keep track of – cue me getting my hands on the second issue of this Sci-Fi Crime thriller.
RCMP Officer Tara Becker has already seen her life turned upside down with new criminal team mates Zoe & Anders to trust, a terrorist plot to prevent and messages from the future to get her head around, but that whirlwind eases us into a second issue that really begins to find it’s feet. Things settle down for the team as they lie low to try and repair the device that was bringing them messages from the future and as they do that it’s a perfect chance to build up a deeper knowledge of the trio and the motivations that drive them on.
A new mission from the future jolts them into action and gives them all a chance to focus on something else but it’s just as much of a chance to continue the character development with glimpses of their past lives drifting in, in all their flawed & destructive glory. That mission sees them tracking down traffickers and with Tara going through some deep soul-searching this quickly becomes a story with a far deeper vibe that’s been subtly injected and all while feeling like it’s settled into a steady momentum.
John’s script and attention to detail in each of the characters lives helps give them a natural tie in to the missions they find themselves working on but it goes beyond that to delve deeper into a broader message of finding hope in a world that preys on the weak but that can be made better by people who are willing to do what it takes to make a difference. The past, present & future elements are key in giving the developing story a real sense of weight to it and Ev Cantada’s art has a slick flow between each of them while allowing things to unravel before you. There’s energy in the action, anticipation in the cliffhangers and a solemn sense of acceptance as the process of protecting the world from it’s future gives the main protagonists more than enough to ponder.
The drop in momentum at the beginning does shows how word heavy it can get in places with dialogue & narration but Lucas Gattoni works some real magic to keep that under control and when things kick in to the same pacing as the opening issue, there’s a seamless edge to a world that’s complex in it’s themes and detailed with it’s characters.
While the opener had hints of already established sci-fi, crime or thriller offerings, it’s in this second issue that it becomes it’s own thing and manages to balance out unreal events with very real characters. The creative team each have a hand in making sure that’s the case and confirming that they can build on the successes of that first issue before going on to ensure that this is a book that can, and should, have enough of a following to continue through to the end of the series with ease and after two issues I’m hoping there’s more beyond that too.
You can get hold of this & the opening issue through the campaign link below:
Check in with the creators involved through the Twitter links below to see what else they’re working too:
John – @arbutus_films
Ev – @ev_cantada
Lucas – @LetteringBear
8/10
G-Man
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