Paklis #2 presents an all-new story, while also including the next chapter in “The Amnia Cycle.” Dustin Weaver’s anthology series got off to a solid start in its debut. Can the second issue raise the bar? Is it good?
After the opening page with a humorous callback to the debut issue, Paklis #2 truly gets started with the story “An Empty Shell in the Ocean.” Co-created and written by D.J. Bryant, this segment is a fascinating opener that plays with perception of space and time in an almost poetic way. Dustin Weaver’s artwork here is simply stellar, creating a real sense of geography that is essential to understanding the story. The design work is fantastic throughout the story, from the characters to the world around them. Weaver uses more color here than he does in the rest of the issue and it gives the city with its eclectic building design a real sense of life.
Dustin Weaver’s own writing continues the rest of the issue, which is dominated by part two of “The Amnia Cycle.” For this segment, Weaver uses a much looser style of artwork that has a sketch-like characteristic to it. Some may find this an annoying drop in quality from the first segment, but this choice gives “The Amnia Cycle” a dreamy quality and gives the space battles an extra sense of risk and speed. It is also this segment that provides one of the most jaw-dropping image in the comic, one which I won’t spoil here.
Is It Good?
The continuation of “The Amnia Cycle” along with the one-page “Sagittarius A” provides Paklis with a sense of direction, giving this newest issue an edge up over its predecessor. Dustin Weaver’s artwork throughout the issue is incredibly strong and the use of different styles helps break up the pacing of the book and prevents the stories from bleeding into one another. “An Empty Shell in the Ocean” is the true star of this issue though, a great sci-fi tale with an excellent world building and its characters.
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