The first issue of Grayson was a complete success for me. It did just about everything right and gave me almost everything I wanted in return. It became one of those very few books that deserve a perfect 10 out of 10 in my view. With the second issue out now, let’s see if the book can keep this momentum going. Is it good?
Grayson #2 (DC Comics)
While Helena Bertinelli is currently training the girls of St. Hadrian’s Finishing School in the art of the crossbow, the Hood comes wandering in after being savagely beaten. As such, Mr. Minos sends Helena and Dick on their next assignment. They need to find out who attacked their comrade and see if they can finish his mission, which was to recover the Biomech Digestive Processor.
Power in her curves? Oh, there’re a lot of things to say about that.
Getting straight to the point, while the second issue was not as a good as the first issue (that was kind of expected), it was still fantastic. The story was another done-in-one that was a lot of fun to read, but also served as setting up the story and establishing more of elements. It showed the audience more about how Spyral operates and their goals, the philosophies they and their members believe in, what Midnighter’s aims are and his response to his defeat last issue, and also how the current undercover gig is affecting Dick. The story does all of this very well, making this a very dense and engaging read.
The writing is at its strongest when it comes to the characters and their characterization. In the span of only two issues, the two main characters feel really human and fleshed out. Dick Grayson, of course, really stands out with his charming personality and outlook on the job, providing a lot of genuinely funny and also human moments (the end scene is probably the best). Helena got a lot focus with this issue too, really allowing for her character to shine and stand out. The comic does an excellent job really diving into her personality (her opening and closing scenes really get into it) and how she chooses to operate during her missions. Of course, the rest of the cast are equally as memorable and full of personality as well with their small scenes throughout the book.
I’m sorry, but you know how much these spam emails I get bug the hell out of me.
Seeley’s writing continues to be very well done. The pacing and storytelling are tight, really making for a slow and dense, but truly engaging and memorable read. Not one scene is wasted, all providing importance for the plot, subplots, or development of the characters. The dialogue, outside of one or two lines, is really good and really helps with adding so much personality to the characters and a lot of the humor. While it does suffer from a bit of exposition, it feels natural and not like a big info dump. The emotional and human touches in the book really do add a lot, helping you get invested in the characters and their situation. The ending page is also very nice and heartwarming in its own way, even though the ending itself doesn’t have much of a hook to it. All in all, outside of a minor nitpick, the writing is still as strong as before.
The artwork remains really appealing as well. Characters look great and have a nice range of emotion in their faces and in their body language (though some female characters have similar facial structures). The layouts are easy to follow and there is some nice energy in them during the action scenes. The action itself is nicely depicted and dynamic instead of feeling static. The coloring adds a lot more to the imagery with the colors and tones used to convey scenes and the moods. Though there was an odd inconsistency where a character got hurt and was bleeding, but the next page showed the person without the wound. Outside that though, it looks really darn good.
Man, someone is paking the hell out of him.
Is It Good?
Grayson #2 is a solid follow-up to great debut. While remaining a done-in-one, it continues the story and character development very well with plenty of great moments and excitement. The writing is fantastic and the artwork looks phenomenal. If you haven’t jumped aboard yet and sought out this comic, what are you waiting for?
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