Reanimator #2

Reanimator #2
Released by: Dynamite Entertainment
Released on: May 13th, 2015.
Written by: Keith Davidsen
Illustrated by: Randy Valiente
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Picking up where the first issue left off, we catch up with Herbert West's new assistant, Susan Greene, as she's working out training at the gym. She needs the release, in fact she's got a picture of West on her punching bag. She wants to learn from him but she's paranoid and as she showers, we learn from her internal narration how he targeted her and how their initial meeting, which at first seemed like a coincidence, was anything but. She knows about his past but hasn't sensed any menace from him… yet.

She meets up with West, Eldritch wants his next shipment of the drug he's been making, Eunique, and West intends to deliver. They arm themselves and leave The Valusian with the truck, heading to the meeting spot to hand over the drugs in exchange for the cash West needs to continue with his research. Never one to miss an opportunity, along the way West poaches some alligators while their boatman, Homer, hits on Susan. It doesn't go well and West warns him about such behavior in the future. Before they can make the drop, their boat is attacked by some local crooks, the Gris-Gris Boys and their zombie Voodoo Girls, and a bloody battle is followed by a crash. West heads into the woods to lose the Gris-Gris Boys and sends Susan to go off and make the drop so as not to cross the cartel.

Of course, West has a trick up his sleeve, he always does but when Susan arrives to complete their end of the deal, it all hits the fan and some shocking truths are revealed.

There's a whole lot of setup here but Keith Davidsen's story pays off nicely in the last few pages. You won't see this ending coming and while of course it leaves plenty more to still be revealed in the issues to follow, there's a pretty cool twist uncovered in this second chapter. West is, once again, written true to character. You can almost hear Jeffrey Combs' voice in the dialogue and if he's written as a little more of an action hero in a few pages rather than the mad scientist we all know and love, it works in the context of the story. He's still mad, he's still driven by a singular vision and he's still very unpredictable despite his obvious obsession with his work. Throwing Susan Greene into the mix works in interesting ways for the story to explore that obsessive character, while at the same time driving the narrative in strange and unexpected directions.

Randy Valiente's work in the art department is still a little on the sketchy side and maybe doesn't deliver as much detail as some fans would have hoped for but once you get accustomed to the slightly exaggerated style, it works. The coloring by Jorge Sutil suits the pencils and inks quite well and that cover from Francesco Francavilla is pretty great in its own right.