BAD NATURES #2, from Joshua Smith Jearmon on Kickstarter, gives the inhabitants of the world a second chance as the remaining gods bicker over how to rebuild Heaven while Casimir makes plans to claim all souls for himself.
The Details
- Written By: Joshua S. Jearmon
- Art By: Sherman Tibayan, Joshua S. Jearmon
- Colors By: Ellis Carlos
- Letters By: Rick Joseph
- Cover art by: Joshua S. Jearmon (cover A)
- Cover price: $5.00 (pdf)
- Release date: August 2022 (estimated)
Is It Good?
BAD NATURES #2 continues Joshua S. Jearmon’s eclectic tale about a power struggle between the gods of Heaven and the ruler of Hell to lay claim to all souls in the world. There’s a plethora of fanciful ideas in this second issue, and while not all of them fully come together, there’s something to be said for letting the imagination run wild.
The strength of Jearmon’s script lies in the sheer volume of creative ideas in this single issue. Snakes in Hell want to become dragons. Gods create insectile avatars to unite the insects engaged in a bloody war. Earthly gods fight each other to impose their will over whose design for the new Heaven will be best. If you’re into comics with sometimes challenging but always imaginative ideas, this comic makes the grade.
That said, challenging ideas can sometimes be too challenging for readers when the story’s clarity is lost in the noise. This comic is readable, and you can get the gist of what’s going on, but the story lacks a clear protagonist and a clear direction. Events are unfolding across a collection of threads with a collection of characters, but the focus is not there. Some readers may feel lost.
Tibayan and Jearmon’s art is adequate for the story Jearmon is telling. The line work is clean, and Carlos’s coloring work is surprisingly detailed, but the character movement and panel perspectives are flat and simplistic. It’s not bad art. The art’s on par for an indie title from a new creative team.
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]
Check out our BAD NATURES #1 review to get a taste of how this unusual conflict between Heaven and Hell started.
We begin with Ethel the dragon fleeing from Ava’s animal soldiers in the wastelands. Ethel is eventually caught and killed, but not before giving Ava a piece of her mind. Meanwhile, Casimir maintains the processing of increased souls now that Heaven is destroyed. When Casimir’s son enters, he demands his reward for killing a god – the serum to become a dragon.
Elsewhere, the Queen laments Jasper’s disappearance and shows apathy for the humans who’ve begun to lose faith in her. Desmond, the Queen’s advisor, helps her to not lose hope for the future. The Queen cheers up enough to create animalistic avatars that will keep the lifeforms of the world worshipping her, impeding Casimir’s consumption of souls.
We conclude the issue with an insect war and a decision about reptiles.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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BAD NATURES #2 is filled with creative ideas and imaginative concepts, sometimes at the expense of clarity. The pacing and dialog are very good, and the art’s on par for an indie title.
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