Comic Review: Death Orb #2

Death Orb #2

Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Ryan Ferrier

Artists: Alejandro Aragon and Chris O’Halloran

I think it’s safe to say Death Orb’s creators are George Miller fans. The story feels like an alternative version of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior if Max’s family had been kidnapped instead of killed. Being only the second issue of the series, there’s a heavy focus on painting the world and setting up characters to collide in conflict later on. Rider, an ax-wielding punk in a leather jacket, is traversing the wasteland on a stolen motorcycle searching for his wife and unborn child. Father, dark-hooded leader of the cult The Lords, is using human subjects for a shadowy experiment he’s hopeful will bring about the extinction of humanity. We feel there’s something supernatural going on in the background because of the telepathy and visions shown in the series, but as of now, it hasn’t been expanded on.

The writing’s solid and the story has a great pace; Aragon has a clear structure in mind and I really appreciate that. A lot of the books I’ve been picking up feel like they are attempts at Odyssey-level epics. So many books pose a gigantic journey as the forefront of the tale and miss the drive behind those journeys. Death Orb has action that drives forward character motivations, highlighting the characters’ reasons for those actions.

Early in the issue, Rider’s chained up to a wall and interrogated people who believe he’s part of The Lords. During the exchange, Rider sees a pregnant woman, Hedger, in their group and asks if there’s anyone else like her. The response is a prompt jab to his jaw by Carvell, Hedger’s husband, who believes Rider is threatening his wife. It’s such a simple action that conveys character in an interesting manner that I’ve been missing in books.  Moments with actions that inform storytelling and don’t just feed a desire for violence fill the issue.

Anytime a story is told in a post-apocalypse world, there are expectations by readers of how it should look. The image in our collective minds, of scavengers scraping by on shoddy vehicles and spread out far amongst arid desert lands. There are countless examples that fit this genre-mold, Mad Max, Borderlands, The Road, Fallout, etc. While definitely using this imagery, Death Orb finds a way to stand out.

Aragon and O’Halloran add a futuristic tinge making me think of The Jetsons but set near the Thunderdome. There’s a Hannah Barbara feel to the character designs and the more pronounced set pieces. Personally, I love it. Distinguishing the series from other visuals in this genre, there’s a fluid type of look when action scenes happen.

Overall, this book is one to keep your eye on. I’ll be following this series to watch how it unfolds. Enjoying the art and story, I’m pretty sure this will be one of my favorite stories by the series’ end.