Writer: Paul Cornell
Art: Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto, Ruth Redmond, VC’s Cory Petit, and Steve Morris
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $5.99
Release Date: August 31st, 2022
The saga that orchestrated the entire Wild Cards universe begins this week as the fight between Jetboy and the bioweapon concludes! Let’s dive into Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #2 by Paul Cornell as Jetboy stumbles back into action over Manhattan in order to save this city from a madman holding an alien weapon as an ultimatum!
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #2 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #2 continues with a quick recap of Wild Card Day. Fans of the George R. R. Martin Mosaic Novel will love the depiction of the event that changed the world forever. However, one can’t forget that this is a quick retelling of events that transpired throughout the novels. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing offering longtime fans the opportunity to see Wild Cards from a different perspective and medium. Yet, the pacing is incredibly fast and moves the story forward at blazing speeds.
The biggest knock I can provide the narrative is the way readers new to Wild Cards won’t feel connected to any of the characters or setting. It’s almost as if no one character has a lead role from an almost aerial view. Now, the good news about this perspective is that Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #2 moves at almost super speeds getting readers to the heart of the story with an issue cluttered with action. Before you know it, the comic is done! So, to fans of Wild Cards who already know the outcome and direction of this tale, they’ll be pleased that Paul Cornell doesn’t drag the narrative along. Nevertheless, new recruits will feel very little connection to this story.
ART
Although a considerable amount of the story isn’t new, the illustrations continue to be brilliant and energizing. Mike Hawthorne and Adriano Di Benedetto generate such intentionality with the linework producing characters with deep expressions and clean designs reminiscent of the time. And what time is that you ask? Well, to the older audience, it was the apex of our childhoods… the Sci-Fi era of the 80s. However, take that Science Fiction element from the 80s and mix them with the 40s, and this art team concocts a stunning display that’s almost intoxicating to the reader.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #2 continues to be a terrific adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s series. It apprehends the reader causing them to fall directly in the middle of Wild Card Day itself. Furthermore, this creative team impressively captures the personalities and techniques of the foremost stories while summarizing the book series into a solid comic adaptation. Yet, the key word is “summary”. Would I rather read a comic that summarized the entire book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone into one comic or side stories and perspectives that happened around the same time that weave into the main narrative? To someone who’s already read Wild Cards, this is simply a retelling of events in a different medium. But to fans brand new to the novels, this very well could be piquing your interests in the series itself.
Yet, what I find to be the most unique aspect of this intrepid tale is that it feels absolutely nothing like a Marvel Comic with its design and characters but remains a Marvel Comic nonetheless. And, the artistic style is what continues to seduce this reviewer deeper and deeper into the issue causing Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #2 to wrap up in what felt like minutes. Again, new readers will appreciate this story more than the old. However, the classic fan of Wild Cards will still delight in the visual tapestry of a story 35 years in the making. Let me know if what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!