Very engaging and enjoyable second issue where the story takes off and the dramatic stakes are raised very nicely. Anna is growing increasingly concerned about her fiancee Theo, and is finding it difficult to persuade others to take her seriously. When she does the problems for the merc team become significantly greater.
The story development in this issue is superb, moving from an apparently trivial matter to to a significantly consequential one without ever breaking the thread of the story. There is a great deal of action and development put into the issue that never feels rushed or cramped. There is an interesting dramatic play used to move the story from a focus on an apparently overreacting female to a significant and verifiable problem. Anna is forcefully following her concerns and creates the circumstances for an important discovery. The transition to the the to management of the discovery is a little too fast, it does not really give enough time for Anna, a little more space for her would have been welcome. The discovery is significant and the outcomes are great, the plot mechanics surrounding it are very engaging, they bring out the science fiction strength of the comic in full force and they lead to a great set up. Maria Lantsuta is happily willing to raise the stakes of the story in a smart and credible way.
The art is a pleasure to read, the cast are expressive, responsive and varied. This is subtle science fiction art , the context is full of details tat bring weight and depth to the story, the technology is used in natural and interesting ways. The panels are used very well to move and control the pace of the story, the backgrounds on the pages are used very effectively to create a contunity that supports the action.
Darya Lantsuta's colours are superb, they capture and amplify both the science fiction context and the emotional tones of the story. The cast are given definition and depth by the colours, the bright colours are glowing from the future of technology, the subdued shades bring in the cast and the low key aspects of people doing stressful dangerous jobs for a lot of different reasons.
Tatyana Lantsuta's translation is not entirely smooth, the words are not entirely as natural English speakers would use them, this is also very nice, it is a pleasure to get non Anglophone comics and constructions never draw the reader from the story.
Phaeton Proterra Issue 2 is a reminder of the deep pleasure of smart science fiction comics, original talent and powerful storytelling.
Chief Wizard Note: This is a review copy very kindly sent by Kim Roberts, to purchase a copy of Phaeton Proterra Issue 2, which you should to luxuriate in confident romantic science fiction, one of the joys of the world, you can get it here http://www.wpcomicsltd.com/
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