Review – Basilisk #2
Review – Basilisk #2
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Jonas Scharf
Colouring: Alex Guimaraes
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Release Date: July 7th 2021
Variant and Virgin Covers: Jonas Scharf and Martin Simmonds
Synopsis: Blessings of the Chimera
Is redemption possible if it is coerced?
Forced to confront the horrors of her past, Regan hits the road with Hannah – a victim from her past – who has her own set of secrets.
Meanwhile, the other four remaining members of the Chimera find themselves tired of hiding from the world and move to reignite their reign of terror and death.
Check out our review of issue #1 here.
Writer: Cullen Bunn
After the explosive first issue, I thought Bunn might tone it down for issue 2 but we start the issue with the Chimera taking the town of Kingsly apart piece by piece. Again, the first few pages are almost dialogue-free as we see the group looking with pride over a man infected by a smell that makes him eat the flesh of others. He begs to stop it and is burned alive by one touch. In the background, we can see the results of each of the group’s sense based powers.
We then flip to the car with Regan and her kidnapper Hannah discussing the horror that went on in Kingsly as well as finding out what Hannah’s plan is. Her simple plan is to allow the Chimera to track her and lure them into a trap, Regan pleads with her as she doesn’t think she fully understands the devastation all five sense based powers can cause.
The story moves along to two of the Chimera out for lunch, Jimmy and Cara, who are approached by a cult member to advise Regan has been kidnapped and turned on the cult that tried to rescue her last issue. Jimmy finishes his meal and activates his smell effect turning the diners and staff against each other. The diner scenes set an immediate jangle in your nerves.
Bunn’s layering each of the plot points here, and with each issue, we get to see more of the origin of the group as well as the cult that has built up around them.
Artist: Jonas Scharf
Scharf’s work here, showing the horrors inflicted by each of the powers comes to the forefront at both the beginning and end of the book. The detailed work, showing a man chomping an intestine will make your lunch think about leaving your stomach. Each of the characters is richly drawn and have a personality and quirks just from his pen strokes.
There are a lot of blink and miss them images, like the bird flying above the car showing that Manny is watching, and I don’t think I was ready for the fry cook face planting to the deep fryer.
Alex Guimaraes colouring adds a bloody element to the visceral action with splashes of pinks, reds and other fluids oozing out as the effects of the glutenous smell torture its victims.
Overall Thoughts
Bunn and Scharf’s shock tactics are working here. As the Chimera flex their powers in the diner we see their apparent disregard for life and their god-like devotion from the cult. Issue #3 will probably dive back towards their origin a bit more as well as showing what the outcome in Kingsly was. Do not east before reading.
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This review of Basilisk #2 was possible through a free preview by Boom! Studios. Enjoy the first three pages below and get this week’s hottest comic at your local comic shop.
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