ARMORCLADS #2, from Valiant Entertainment on April 20th, 2022, finds the Ironclads about to be decommissioned and reassigned when a mercenary raid forces the miners to work together
The Details
- Written By: J.J. O’Connor, Brian Buccellato
- Art By: Manuel García, Raül Fernández
- Colors By: Rex Lokus
- Letters By: Dave Sharpe
- Cover Art By: Bagus Hutomo (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: April 20, 2022
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Was It Good?
In the first issue, we recognized the potential of the series as a futuristic amalgam of Avatar and Starship Troopers. If the creators intend to capitalize on that potential, there needs to be a point where the story differentiates itself from the more popular and recognizable franchises.
ARMORCLADS #2 starts to show those signs of differentiation but at an unfortunate cost. The story center around the ironclads returning to base after the death of their friend, Sam, and the subsequent death of Sgt. Troy. The plot that follows is a series of conflicts that arise out of nowhere, designed to force the ironclads apart so they have an excuse to come together and prove their worth in a combat scenario. in other words, things happen that don’t make sense as an excuse for the miners to form into a hero team.
It’s good to have a destination but you can’t skimp or get sloppy with the journey, and this journey gets very sloppy at points.
The Ironclads return to base and are informed by an arriving military team that the entire mining camp is being shut down and the miners will be scattered to different assignments. Why? Deaths happen all the time and the miners are productive, but no explanation is given for the shutdown.
Before the Ironclads are scattered, their dragged along in their mostly-deactivated suits through the forest jungle to another mining camp that’s under attack from pirates. If the suits are so valuable, why are they walking through the forest where they’re vulnerable to attack from pirates or bug aliens? Why are they transporting the disposable miners in valuable suits? Where are they going?
When the Alphon soldiers enter the battle, they leave the miners in their very valuable Ironclad suits behind, unguarded and undefended. Again, why were the Ironclads brought to the battle in the first place?
There’s more but these are highlights that underscore how the creators intended to get from point A to point B so the Ironclads could become a fighting team, but the journey is a confusing mess.
The saving grace of this issue is the art from García, Fernández, and Lokus. The rich jungle environment looks exquisite. The surface textures created by the coloring are outstanding. And, the overall look of gritty jungle combat works well.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
To see how Sam and Sgt. Troy met their makers, first read our ARMORCLADS #1 review.
We begin with the miners being met by Alphon military forces back at camp. The soldiers accept the explanation of Sam’s death, but they’re skeptical about the details surrounding Sgt. Troy. Threatened with group execution, Peris steps forward to claim responsibility. Peris is led away to be executed in private, but before the deed is done, the commander receives a call to bring Peris in for some other purpose.
Meanwhile, the remaining Ironclads are informed the camp will be shut down and everyone will be reassigned, possibly to separate locations. For some reason, the Ironclads are placed back in their suits, disabled enough to only allow walking, and led through the jungle to an unknown location. They soon arrive at another camp under siege by pirates. And then they fight.
We conclude the issue with suit hacking, heavy gunner suit commandeering, and a new team forming.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
ARMORCLADS #2 is a great-looking comic, especially considering the chaotic jungle conditions, but the plot of the story is riddled with inconsistencies and contrived events to force the team to assemble. Pick up this comic for the visuals, but lower your expectations for a story that makes sense.
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