AVALON #2, from 1282 on October 25th, 2022, finds the world quickly spiraling into chaos as the infected bite innocent bystanders, spreading the wave of rage like wildfire.
The Details
- Written by: Brandon Starocci, Alan Dingfelder
- Art by: Dimitris Nastos
- Colors by: Dimitris Nastos
- Letters by: Dimitris Nastos
- Cover art by: Dimitris Nastos
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: October 25, 2022
Is It Good?
AVALON #2 is a harrowing installment in this indie offering from 1282. We liked issue #1 quite a bit for its growing sense of dread as the Castle family haplessly bore witness to an apocalyptic outbreak. Now, the dread shifts into outright panic as the outbreak quickly spreads to engulf anyone within reach. With shades of [REC] (2007) and 28 Days Later (2002) to get horror fans excited, this is a first-rate horror comic.
Starocci and Dingelder’s script earns top marks for the sharp, escalating sense of confused panic felt by every member of the Castle family. When the situation gets bloody, the family acts as you would expect any natural, normal family to react under the circumstances. You pick up on the shock, confusion, and fear as the family works together to get out of the situation, even when the circumstances are clearly spiraling out of control.
The minor down point in this issue is a confusing lack of scene transitions. The comic will suddenly jump from one group of characters and location to the next with no warning or clear transition, so a scene suddenly becomes confusing until you realize it’s a new scene.
Nastos’s art is detailed, clean, and excellent. The art plays a big part in projecting the panic of all characters, and Nastos delivers. In fairness, Nastos relies heavily on close-ups, which makes the comic feel small and cluttered in a few spots, but you never lose sight of the story in each scene.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our AVALON #1 review to find out how the outbreak showed the first signs of spreading.
We begin with Mark Castle answering a call for help outside the restaurant where the family is celebrating Mason Castle’s birthday. Mark finds a man with a scratched face writhing in pain. Suddenly the main becomes enraged, like an animal, and springs on Mark, biting his shoulder. Mark manages to break free and run into the restaurant, locking the door behind him.
Elsewhere, Andy Castle and his bitten partner, Miller, fend off an old woman attacking in a fit of rage. The police officers have no choice but to gun her down. Suddenly, they hear a commotion in the hallway of the apartment building. When Andy steps out of the old woman’s apartment to investigate, he finds more tenants, enraged and on the attack.
We conclude the issue with a precarious drop, a hasty getaway, and a collision course.
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Final Thoughts
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AVALON #2 shifts from encroaching dread to outright panic as the infection spreads, one bite at a time. The writers nailed the claustrophobic sense of fear when the Castle family realizes they have to run, and the super-detailed art captures every look of shock and horror perfectly.
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