REVIEW: The Silencer #2

John Romita Jr. and Dan Abnett list themselves as co-creators and the storytellers of DC“s The Silencer, one of several new offerings in the “The New Age of Heroes”“ series. The Silencer #2 ”“ “Showdown in Suburbia”“ ”“ advances the central tension of the book even while it struggles a bit to provide the much-needed background on the world of hi-tech assassins out of which the main character ”“ Honor/the Silencer ”“ is desperately trying to extricate herself.

The Silencer is a retired “liquidator,”“ a deadly assassin with access to high-powered, technologically advanced weaponry who has done all that she can to leave the mysterious “underlife”“ organization in order to live a normal family life in the suburbs. But thanks to Talia Al Ghul and some unknown disruption in the shadowy organization she is being pulled right back into to her old life ”“ hence the “showdown in suburbia.”“

For a “new age of heroes”“ title there isn“t all that much new in this opening storyline for The Silencer. She“s a deadly assassin who wants out of the shadowy organization that she used to work for ”“ we may have seen this movie before. What readers will find interesting are the various ways in which Honor/the Silencer balances her activities with the “underlife”“ with her struggle to maintain a normal family life ”“married with a very young son.

The Silencer is most interesting when she is using her power ”“ the ability to create a zone of silence ”“ to protect her secret previous identity as a killer and/or to maintain some sense of normalcy in her life as the drama of the underlife begins to bleed into her quiet suburban world. Again, this is where the story comes to life: a mom fighting for her right to live a normal life.

Lot“s of villain“s and world-building are packed into this issue. Places like “Maulmart”“ and villains like “Bloodvessel”“ give readers the sense that while there is much background to cover, it can be covered creatively and sometimes in the most direct ways ”“ with figurative language and powerful imagery.

And ultimately the images and the imagery are what make this book “pullable”“ from month to month. John Romita Jr“s pencils are brilliant. It is nearly impossible to view his artwork without seeing the rich history of classic comics that he has worked on over the years. Romita Jr.“s work carries with it the visual gravitas of a stellar career drawn across platforms, in and around the worlds of your favorite superheroes. The Silencer inherits some of this magic and puts it to good use in this compelling issue. 3.5/5!

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(W) Dan Abnett (A/CA) John Romita, Sandra Hope