Dead Rabbit #2
Image Comics
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: John McCrea
Dead Rabbit tells the story of Martin and Megan Dobbs. Martin was once known by a different name. A name that made headlines and was spoken out loud with a mixture of both admiration and fear: Dead Rabbit. But that was a long time ago and Martin retired from the game. Just before Dead Rabbit vanished, however, it’s believed he ripped off millions from a notorious gangster. They’ve waited years for him to reappear.
Story:
This issue is heavy on action. Old alliances are rekindled, old plans repeated, and maybe that’s why everything goes so horribly wrong.
Martin’s wife is in the hospital. The hospital bills are too much. Martin knows he has to come out of retirement. Going straight, clean, honest, was for other people. Not him. Not Dead Rabbit. With the help of an old friend Martin sets out to hit a bank. But it turns out what was once easy in his youth is that much harder now that he and his accomplice are old men.
Character:
What is typical concerning high action comic book issues holds true in this issue as well. Action limits dialogue, the main tool that connects readers to a character. The result is an issue that feels quick, action-packed, but about people, readers still don’t really know. This is not to condemn the whole issue. The addition of Wheels, the getaway driver is a nice touch. The exchange between these two when Wheels wins a $20 bet from Dead Rabbit for coming out of retirement is especially worth note.
Art:
Issue #1 has some truly awesome artwork, and while issue #2 uses dark space in similar ways, most of this issue takes place in daylight hours. The art feels somehow less stylized and more steeped in realism. Martin is faced with hefty medical bills and this “real life” problem strips away the superhero style. A much less glamorous reality replaces it. It’s bright and raw and there are no shadows to hide in. Instead, everything is on display.
Read On:
This issue does a few things well in terms of the overall series. #2 introduces a new character and complexifies him. It also pulls readers perspective of Martin Dobbs, a.k.a Dead Rabbit way back. It rewrites the “hero” from issue #1, as a desperate man who will do anything, hurt anyone, to get what he wants. Despite the fact Martin Dobbs is a man who believes in good and evil in issue #1, he is every shade of gray.
Dead Rabbit #2
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