Advanced Review: The Ravagers #2

Coming off a mediocre first issue, The Ravagers #2 is a book that will hook you instantly — leaving any qualms you had about how good this series could be by the wayside!

Howard Mackie has done a full three sixty with only two issues out on the shelves. The Ravagers #1 was a mish-mash of concepts that never struck a cord with readers and left another “Second Wave” book teetering on a precipice to oblivion. But this issue is a TRUE page turner that ensnares a reader, creating a new core “teen” title that is on par with Teen Titans!

Issue two finds our rag tag group of survivors trying to refocus after an attack by Warblade and Rose Wilson. Though not fully trusting one another, they manage to keep each other alive long enough to encounter the most heinous Ravager yet — Shadow Walker! This sadistic menace has tortured Thunder, Lightning and Ridge before, and it is their fear that feeds his insatiable thirst. Can Fairchild teach this group enough about their own humanity to save them, or are they already too far gone?

Ian Churchill’s art is outstanding and his correlation with Mackie’s script — makes one beautiful book! The odd thing about this series, is that the “heroes” of the book are not the main reason why it is so good! It is the perfectly honed villains that push this book beyond its limits! They are pure evil, a sadistic cornucopia of horror and “super villain” that creates a perfect suspense filled ride! The “heroes” almost seem like an afterthought when it comes to their development; they are there, but not as thoroughly fleshed out as the villains seem to be. And for now, I am completely okay with that! Especially after seeing what is coming up next for Caitlin Fairchild and her runaways! They say every hero is only made better by the caliber of their villains, if that is so, then The Ravagers will become some of the best heroes ever created!