I read the previous issues featuring D4ve and I thought it ended properly, so I was curious to what direction Ryan Ferrier was going to take with D4ve2. What shenanigans are the characters going to get into? Is it good?
D4ve2 #1 (IDW Publishing)
The issue takes place one year after D4ve saved the 34rth from an alien invasion. He is now the general of D-fense and resonates the good ole slogan, “life is good.” There’s no more boring desk job, and though his wife is now his ex-wife, they seem to be on friendly terms. His relationship with his son, 5cotty, is further developed and it’s interesting to see their wacky personalities crash together.
There’s not much in terms of plot. There are no more aliens and they’ve rebuilt the city, so now his soldiers are conducting drills. We get a bit of drama with the ex-wife and her new lover, Fr3d, while D4ve gets a new possible love interest, B3th. There are panels between 5cotty and his best friend Br4d that highlight teenage angst from his parents’ fallout, which further humanizes the characters. The main storyline is that four months ago, a black hole showed up out of nowhere (cue some more butt jokes). Something spits out of it, so they go and check it out. That’s about all we get…or all I’m giving you as it ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. A pretty interesting one.
As you can see, we still get the leetspeak from the previous issues and the same form of language. Same great dialogue, only this time there’s way more “butts” added in for measure. This comic has the most unusual form of cursing. I don’t think you’ll see “banana-pants mcfuck-buttons” in anything else.
The art is still really great. I love the attention to detail and Ramon continues to impress me with his work. Vivid colors, great cohesion, and awesome in terms of props and background scenes. The references are still there, but much fewer than before. I was wondering why they kept saying “jobsdamn” and took about two times before I realized that it was Steve Jobs being alluded to God. I think those little things are what makes this such a unique comic.
Is It Good?
If you liked the first series, then I think it’s safe to say you’ll enjoy D4ve2. It doesn’t have too many laughs, but there are some intriguing ideas coming into play. The first started off slow and I imagine this one will have that same feel.
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