From West Wing to Newsroom, writer Aaron Sorkin has made a name in drama that’s all about political issues and people talking. There’s a reason we don’t see that in comics and that’s because it’s a visual medium written and drawn for, supposedly, a younger audience. Then comes V-Wars and all that talking is there; the drama, the political intrigue, but does it work? Hell, is it good?
V-Wars #2 (IDW Publishing)
If you’re just joining us the Speaker of the House was just assassinated. Vampires are a very real thing and they came from a recessive gene that has reared its head. A vampire terrorist cell is afoot and has claimed they killed the speaker. Reporter Nitobe has been kidnapped who has recently gone on a reporting spree comparing the vampires to the IRA and other terrorist factions. She’s in danger, but dagnabbit she wants her story!
Cool comparison layout.
This is a very wordy issue with it all coming in dialogue. If you’re up for an action comic this should be steered clear, but that being said, Jonathan Maberry has written himself a rather strong issue. There’s plenty of political intrigue going on here, with links to gay rights, insane pundits on 24 hour news, and ultimately how, when both sides are screaming, nobody is heard. He’s got Nitobe on the case though and she’s slowly uncovering the truth. Or so we hope. Since there’s a war brewing there’s a lot of danger and stakes at play, which keeps things interesting.
What makes this book so damn good is that it’s very pertinent in these days of constant news (if you can call it that). Which is precisely what this book is saying. Who do you trust, who can you believe, and is any of this news in our control? It appears the underlying story here is how the bad guys manipulate the news. A very scary and real threat today.
The art is by Alan Robinson and it’s quite good for this type of material. Faces are accurate and consistent, and the pace is exceptional. This is particularly important in a dialogue-heavy book because things can get stale very fast. Not so here, as you’ll be driven to read every page and every panel with incredible need.
Who are those people?
Is It Good?
Rarely does the second issue outdo the first, but V-Wars #2 does it and does it well. A very well written story, particularly because there’s no action, but ever so interesting.
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