BIGS AND TINY #2 – New Comic Review

BIGS AND TINY #2, by Blackbox Comics on 5/15/24, sends the fledgling hero team on a quest to find other people targeted by thugs sent from the Pieris Corporation.

Credits:

• Writer: Ramel Hill
• Artist: Federico Sabbatini
• Colorist: Andrea Celestini
• Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
• Cover Artist: Federico Sabbatini
• Publisher: Blackbox Comics
• Release Date: May 15, 2024
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 23
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

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Analysis of BIGS AND TINY #2:

Plot Analysis:

Previously in Bigs and Tiny #1, readers encountered the beginnings of the world’s unlikeliest superhero team when Santino and Bryan separately became the recipients of the Pieris Corporation’s experimental drug to develop superpowered weapons. One becomes super strong, and the other could shrink from human-sized to as small as a mouse or any size in between. When both men ran afoul of Pieris’s capture squads, the two joined forces to find out what was going on.

In Bigs and Tiny #2, the police discover Bryan and Santino’s handiwork in Central Park – the Pieris goons dead and arranged in unflattering positions. The size of the slaughter and the puerile positions of the bodies lead Detectives Kelly and Silva to step up their efforts to find out what’s happening.

Weeks later, board members from Pieris discuss their failed efforts to capture Bryan and Santino. Ms. Weaver assures the board that their missing subjects will be captured soon. She offers a demonstration by ordering one of her controlled subjects, Lt. Chalmers, to turn into living steel and smash the meeting table as a show of strength.

Days later, Bryan and Santino visit a flower shop tagged as the location of the next Pieris target in the data they stole in issue #1. They don’t know why Pieris is targeting a woman named Karen who runs the shop, but they hope to reach her before Pieris does.

When the heroes reach the flower ship, they’re too late. Pieris’s goons have a hold on Karen. Bryan and Santino leap into action, expecting a fight as easy as the one in Central Park. Unfortunately, their fight gets a lot tougher when Lt. Chalmers arrives to fight with enhanced strength and steel skin. 

However, Bryan and Santino quickly learn why Pieris is targeting Karen when she puts Lt. Chalmers on ice.

Character Development:

Ramel Hill spent most of issue #1 setting up the conflict by having two strangers, Bryan and Santino, cross paths while looking for answers. The situation took center stage over the character development.

Issue #2 gives the reader a better handle on the chemistry between Bryan and Santino now that they’ve discovered they have common goals and circumstances. In short, they get along like peanut butter and jelly as they interact like two friends who’ve known each other forever. That chemistry makes the hero duo exceptionally likable.

Artwork and Presentation: 

Sabbatini’s art style is generally good, but there are… oddities. As you can see from the preview pages below, the panel angles are visually interesting. The character positioning is dramatic and dynamic. However, Sabbatini’s art is odd in two areas. First, legs and feet frequently look twisted and distorted at odd angles. Second, the characters lose a lot of detail in wide or far shots.

Art Samples:

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Pacing and Structure:

Ramel Hill’s story is fast-paced and pops with a snappy energy. Once you get a feel for the brotherly chemistry between Bryan and Santino, the story takes on an entertaining charm that amplifies the pace.

That said, the opening scene and a few bits of dialog frequently take you out of the story with grammatical errors and missing punctuation. It’s unclear if there’s a translation issue or a regrettable lack of editorial oversight, but you’ll repeatedly trip over the dialog in the beginning pages.

Thematic Exploration: 

The overarching theme of this issue is about strangers becoming friends by teaming up against the world. That’s not a bad message to hang your hat on, and it further reinforces the likability of this unlikely super duo. 

The Bigger Picture:

Series Continuity:

If you’re a fan or follower of Ramel Hill’s work, you may wonder why this issue is being reviewed now when you might have read it years ago. This series is being re-published under Blackbox Comics. Hill published the story independently in 2020, so this is effectively an updated re-print of the original title, possibly with some minor tweaks.

Final Thoughts:

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BIGS AND TINY #2 brings Bryan and Santino together as a team to find out who’s hunting people and why. Hill gives the new friendship tangible, easy charm, and their newfound powers are put to a first big test. That said, dialog issues frequently hinder the prologue, and the art is riddled with anatomical oddities.

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