REVIEW: Duo No.2

Cinematic on its onset, Greg Pak’s “Duo” continues to deliver the bombastic, goofy, and the heart wrenching in less than 32 pages.

Picking off on the cliffhanger of the premier, our protagonist David is found attempting to outrun a bevy of nanobots on the hunt to finish what the bomb his boss dropped on he and his wives’ home started. The effects of the chemical reaction from the explosion of the bomb that fused their minds and spirits is further revealed in this issue as through David’s minds eye, Kelly does what many people in this physical plane would beg to do : attend their own funeral. This scene is far from the somber event that westernized culture tends to promote, and is instead a celebration of life – as any time of remembrance should be.

The jokes come to a halt, as David gets confronted by a detective and is questioned as person of interest. This prompts Pak to deliver one of the more eloquent pieces in his writing career through David as he comes up on the fly with words of vengeance that could easily trump the wedding vows of many a failed marriage. With the inclusion of the detective, “Duo” has shown even more versatility and range than before and this is only just issue two.

Khoi Pham’s art is outstanding as ever. Particularly the scene where David rises from the water in his best superhero pose – an excellent metaphor for the rebirth both he and his wife has went through taking their relationships intimacy to a new level. I’ve never pictured nanites in so many different colors before, sure the robots look the same as in most science fiction, but when David is getting repaired by the nanites in what looks like a plume of colorful smoke (courtesy of the colors by the notable Chris Sotomayor), it’s more in the vein of Mario Gully’s Ant than the bland Doctor X titanium tots that could be seen in the 2000 CGI children’s series of Action Man.

All this, plus the inclusion of period piece villains (both Medieval and Feudal eras respectfully) who are associated with the nanites makes the widening of this plot a joy to bear witness to. A duo of issues deep with this “Duo” and that’s precisely what Pak and his team’s revival of this Milestone character is : a joy.

Score : 5/5