A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #2, from Mad Cave Studios on November 16th, 2022, escalates the violent taunts for Dr. Nick Shaw when the killer leaves a bloody calling card that can’t be ignored.
The Details
- Written by: Cullen Bunn
- Art by: Andrea Mutti
- Colors by: Andrea Mutti
- Letters by: Rus Wooton
- Cover art by: Andrea Mutti
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 16, 2022
Is It Good?
A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #2 is a super quick entry that pumps up the gore and crystallizes Dr. Nick Shaw’s place at the center of the killer’s fixation. Cullen Bunn’s story doesn’t take large steps forward in terms of progressing the plot, but what it does is escalate the extreme nature of the killer’s methods by leaps and bounds. Anyone with a squeamish stomach may want to brace themselves.
The highlight of Bunn’s script is the brutal demonstration of the killer’s fixation with Dr. Nick Shaw. When we left Shaw, he moved to Disante to get away from the violence of the big city. Now, the violence has followed Shaw, leaving no doubt the killer has a personal interest in him. Again, the plot doesn’t take great strides forward, but this issue establishes an escalating, urgent sense of dread. In short, this issue builds fear.
While the fearful mood lands on readers like a ton of bricks, this issue reads so quickly because some character- and world-building scenes linger a little too long without an apparent purpose. For example, the hospital doctors go out for drinks after their shift to unwind and get to know each other. The scene is helpful for establishing connections between characters, but you don’t learn much, and the scene lasts for three pages. To Bunn and Mutti’s credit, the scene doesn’t drag the pace one drop, but moments like this one tip toward filler.
Mutti’s art is disgusting. That’s a compliment.
The rough lines give the setting a ragged feel and the characters a worn, distressed demeanor. Mutti’s use of watercolors for the coloring may not be to everyone’s taste, but the muted palette gives blood extra pop and an authentically “wet” appearance. If you’re all-in on a bloody horror comic, Mutti is an excellent choice.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #1 review to find out how Dr. Nick Shaw found out about the killer.
We begin mid-cliffhanger with Dr. Nick Shaw and his fellow doctors from Disante reeling from the arrival of the killer’s latest victim. Bunn uses the moment to make introductions to the local sheriff, Jorge, and to inform readers that the killer has struck at least three times before now. Shaw chooses not to divulge the victim’s last words, “Unit 731”, and we see through a flashback that Shaw has heard this phrase before.
The next day, the hospital doctors make their rounds helping the impoverished and the infirm. After a well-worked day, the doctors o out for drinks to bond and unwind. Unfortunately, the evening is cut short by screaming and a gory discovery. We conclude the issue with connected dots and more screaming.
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Final Thoughts
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A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #2 is a super quick read that escalates the violence, the gore, and a palpable mood of dread. Part of the speed could be chalked up to scenes that linger a little too long, but if the point was to make you dread what’s coming, this issue is a success.
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