Comic Review: A Town Called Terror #2

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Steve Niles

Artist: Szymon Kudranski

Letterer: Scott O.Brown

Last month saw Steve Niles return to horror comics with A Town Called Terror. While the debut issue wasn’t the strongest, it left plenty of potential. A Town Called Terror #2 picks up the morning after the first issue left off, but the new day doesn’t have as much promise as the one before.

A Town Called Terror #2 has much more exposition than the previous issue did, with a lengthy conversation between Henry and his father. It seems that Henry was kidnapped to find his mother who has gone missing. The rest of the issue explores a little of the town and the people that dwell there.

Niles’ script is as campy as can get, with edgy dialogue and cliché set pieces. Despite all the exposition though, the story doesn’t have enough meat to it to take hold of the reader. Most of the revelations in this issue should have been made last month. The pacing is far too slow and the moments that are supposed to be shocking are too predictable, making this a dull read. The first issue promised more involvement from Julie, who only saw a few panels in this chapter. Henry by himself isn’t compelling enough to carry this narrative, while Julie’s investigation is actually interesting. The series will be much better if she is more involved in future issues.

Kudranski’s art remains unsettling, but the script seems to be holding his art back. He draws terrifying monsters and settings, but there isn’t anything interesting actually going on in the panels. The staging is exceptional, and every scene is easy to follow. The color palette is limited but effective, enhancing the unsanitary look of the setting and the characters.

Scott O. Brown doesn’t do anything too crazy when it comes to this chapter’s letters. There is nothing distracting the reader from the story, but also nothing exceptionally creative either. A few scenes with yelling involved look neat, but they blend in so well with Kudranski’s style that readers may not notice them.

A Town Called Terror #2 is a step backwards for the series, but there is still a glimmer of promise for this series. The pacing needs to improve and Julie deserves more attention. Otherwise, this series will be another forgetabble horror comic.