The Edge #2 - Second Sight Publishing

THE EDGE No. 2, August 2021

Packed full of some ferocious, eye-watering acts of pugilism, plus an introduction to the distinctly disturbing “Mister Idiom”, Marvin Wynn’s script for Issue Two of “The Edge” must surely have delighted its readers when it first hit the spinner racks in August 2021. Indeed, the writer’s excellent mix of high-octane antics alongside some genuinely touching emotional moments, such as the tragic deaths of Bolt’s parents in a road traffic accident when he was a toddler and Spin-Off’s understandably sombre funeral, carries this comic’s audience through its twenty-eight pages at an admirable speed.

For starters, this tome wastes very little time in giving its audience precisely what it wants with its pitiless depiction of “Round Two of Blain verses Revenant!” The sheer physical energy emanating from this no-nonsense battle is truly palpable, and somehow manages to give the likes of Mystic, Randa and their aforementioned akimbo pistols-packing comrade-in-arms all an opportunity to shine whilst facing the stone-cold killer who has already gleefully murdered two members of their strike team; “Last time you got the drop on me. I’m going to snap your freakin neck. You’re through! This is the last time we do this. Die you… Die.”   

Interestingly however, this frenzied fight isn’t simply a non-stop rollercoaster of swapped punches and bullet wounds, but also contains an enthralling sub-plot concerning Tartabull’s super-powered heroes’ desperate attempt to free Shift whilst simultaneously tangling with the nigh on unstoppable Revenant. Such a secondary goal really helps add some extra excitement to the furious combat taking place around the haplessly bound captive, especially when it isn’t made clear until the conflict’s cataclysmic end as to whether the unresponsive protagonist is actually going to survive the rescue bid.

Resultantly, a lot of this book’s heavy-lifting debatably therefore falls upon the shoulders of artist Mark Vuycankiat, who’s pencilling really helps sell every bone-breaking “Wap” and “Wuk” Blain aggressively throws his opponent’s way throughout this publication. It really is incredibly easy to hear the actual sound of these brutal blows as they land, as well as the cast’s strenuous exertions during the subsequent night-time roof-top chase across to the metropolis’ deserted docks.

The regular cover art of "THE EDGE" #2 by Mark Vuycankiat