REVIEW: Leaving Megalopolis: Surviving Megalopolis #2

STORY BYÂ Gail Simone
ART BYÂ J. Calafiore
PUBLISHERÂ Dark Horse ComicsÂ

By now you know the story; at the height of their powers, the heroes underwent an affliction that turned them evil, they then went and put a hole in a bridge, effectively cutting of Megalopolis. But that is only half the story. What about the none-heroes, the normal folk that live there and what are the powers that be doing to help them?

It seems that when given enough resolve, heroes choose to stand up. Whether that“s from the shadows or by making a more visual stand is up for debate. Is a person more heroic with a target on his or her chest or less heroic by being the silent saviour? And let us not forget about intentions!

Here, the choice versus intentions meet head on, with two parties doing what they see fit for their own reasons. Thrown into the mix, is Mina Gutierrez who crosses the actions/intentions divide, as with the second issue, more sub plots are introduced along with more civilians. The extra cast is a good thing as it may throw new angles at the evil super group.

Fan favourite co-creator Gail Simone delivers an issue that percolates its various groups, which will eventually lead to a confrontation. How strongly you will feel about the overall story, will depend on how vested you are regarding the main character. Simone is more than aware of that, adding the virtuousness of actions into the mix, giving the would-be-heroes a level of ambiguity. Dialogue wise, you get the usual high standards from Simone, from the big speeches, the congress report to the big bad somewhat crazy need to relive the paper doll past.

Co-creator James Calafiore continues with his somewhat Perez-ian approach. Now, I am going to brave uncharted waters here by saying I have never been wowed by Perez“ work. Sure it looks clean, with strong lines, but it can lack, for me, a certain uniqueness. As such, I feel somewhat the same about the art on show in this issue; it“s not bad in any real way, just a bit samey. That said, they are some really strong panels, normally featuring the spandex crowd especially Southern Belle, and I liked the hearing elements. On the flip side, groups of people like the new team look too stagnant with facial elements looking slightly odd, which is a shame bearing how this issue starts in that vein.

Regular readers of my reviews will know that Simone is a personal favourite of mine. This book is no exception. In the debate of who is more important, I will nearly always say writer, and for me, there is no better writer, on top of their game as Simone at the moment. Coupled with art that Perez fans should enjoy, this book is a treat to read.

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Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network