John Farman teams up with Will Pickering for another glimmer into his warped mind and penchant for a horror story in Tales of the Damned #2.

John’s working hard to expand the “Damned Universe” and this issue, much like the previous one, helps develop monster hunter Julia Bronte but that element comes as a surprise given how it starts.  It sees a mother and child fleeing a mob who seem hellbent on hunting & killing them and the relentless drive they seem to exhibit goes beyond fear and into the realms of an uncontrollable persecution as they flex their mob mentality to the fullest.

The attack becomes just as vicious as their views and the parallels with the world today seems exceptionally subtle as we venture into a comic with a message…..who’d have thought that was the aim?  Cue Julia and her no-nonense sense of defending the underdog……or under-fox as it turns out with the reveal of just who their target is and more importantly her place in the mysterious Vulpe who inhabit the forest.

The “them vs us” vibe gives it an air of X-Men about it as the representation of a race vs race war brewing to the point of going out of control unfolds and the timely reveal & the satisfying impact that Julia makes to even the odds shows off just how well-balanced the story is from John.  Will’s art manages to capture the mystery that’s built up in the forest surroundings and the energy and finality of Julia’s extreme measures that help save lives and gain her some new friends are captured with an intricate sense of the time period…..which ends up being just as captivating as the story. Another winner from Vital Publishing!

You can check out this and the other Vital Publishing titles over on their website & Facebook page.

8/10

G-Man