Comic Review: Invisible Kingdom #2

Invisible Kingdom #2

Dark Horse Comics

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Christian Ward

In Invisible Kingdom #2 Vess, a zealous Roolian, and Grix, a bullheaded spaceship captain, come closer together by way of a conspiracy. While these two characters haven’t met yet, by the end of this issue, events seem sure to draw them together.

Story:

The crew of the courier spaceship, the Sundog, is behind schedule. Can you blame them? Nobody expects equipment failure. The real kicker of it all: they asked for a maintenance request from Lux, their employer, months ago. As they shuttle into a Lux space station, the Sundog crew discusses what they’ll tell the Lux functionary about a cargo anomaly. An anomaly that points to a sinister and illegal partnership–a partnership some might even kill to keep secret.

Character:

This issue starts with a flashback to Vess’s past. As a Roolian, she is part of a dwindling race of people. Furthermore, she is a universal genetic recipient for her peoples’ reproductive process. Her father wants her to stay and serve her people as a mother, Vess, though, wants to seek a larger world as part of the Invisible Kingdom. While the context of her decision is interesting and a nice touch, the dialogue sequence is a bit stilted. It gives no reasons why Vess would choose a life of religious worship other than “[she] want[s] another world, a different world. . .” which isn’t much of an explanation. What life experiences might Vess have had in the past to lead her to this moment? Readers have to wait.

The crew of the Sundog, specifically Grix, gets more definition in this issue as well. Grix, it turns out, is rather funny when she is exasperated by her crewmember, Xether. Rath, a child and Grix’s little brother, is curious, fun-seeking in the form of Meta Arcades, and generally kid like in a believable manner. One of the most interesting characters is Eline, a Lux emissary who is also part of the Sundog crew. Her loyalties are ambiguous and while it’s clear she cares for the rest of her crewmates, she also has a job to do for the corporation who pays her.

Art:

By far and away from the best part of this issue. While the plot builds and characters deepen, it’s still the art that keeps me reading. (Isn’t it always?). The fact is, Christian Ward, combines beautiful colors that conjure a feeling of the neon streets of a gritty cyberpunk while serving a cosmic space opera at the same time. The character design is ethereal without being confusing. The number of skin tones, shading shapes, and colors used for character skin and their expressions are noteworthy as well. In the end, Ward has created a stunning and immersive world, exemplifying what you’d want from a science fiction comic, in terms of art.