Review - No More Heroes #2

A suicidal superhero isn't good for business. In No More Heroes #2, the aftermath of such a situation is what Sid Millar is faced with after unknowingly being part of Dark Justice's suicide.

The issue is written by Gordon Mclean, illustrated by Caio Oliveira, colored by Stas Leonov and lettered by Kel Nuttal.

Sid feels guilty for responding yes to what he thought was really a cruel joke. So bad in fact that he's been recruited by Dark Justice's sidekick Black Fury to make amends for his action. Those amends require Sid to align himself with Jack Slaughter, a mute with a penchant for rocket launchers and exploding polar bears.

Sid makes his way to Sooze's, a Mos Eisley Cantina if you will where the worst of the worst gather for work and bet on the odds of success of various villains breaking out. Sid makes a tough choice and ingratiates himself with Slaughter's crew, leading him and Black Fury further in their investigation behind the death of Dark Justice.

Mclean does a really good job with the characters in No More Heroes. Jack Slaughter manages to be menacing and scary in only a few panels. Dark Justice (in a flashback) shows a human side, getting angry with Black Fury and showing signs of alcoholism. Sid is scared to death, but his guilt is driving him to help.

All the characters have convincing motivations, which really helps the story move along. And it's a solid story at that. Opening with a superhero asking whether or not he should kill himself is bold enough as it is, but then uniting the hero's sidekick and the "killer" together is pretty smart.

The black and white illustrations work perfectly within the context of the story. They're subtle, but effectively convey the emotion that the characters are showing based on their involvement in the plot. Jack Slaughter is illustrated brilliantly as well, which is important considering he doesn't say anything.

There's a lot to like in No More Heroes #2. It's an unconventional story that manages to stay interesting by providing interesting characters. It's only four issues, but the first two issues really get you hooked and wanting to find out who really was behind the suicide of Dark Justice.

The fact that Mclean has crafted an intriguing tale to find out the culprit behind a suicide should be enough to get your attention.

No More Heroes #2 is available now.