LEAD CITY #2, from Red 5 Comics on April 27th, 2022, begins the Old West’s deadliest tournament. Colman Cooper can’t go back, and the only way through is after everyone else is dead.
The Details
- Written By: Eric Borden
- Art By: Kyle Brummond
- Colors By: Kyle Brummond
- Letters By: Kyle Brummond
- Cover Art By: Kyle Brummond
- Cover Price: $3.95
- Release Date: April 27, 2022
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Was It Good?
LEAD CITY #2 is a taut and tense battle royale thriller set in the American Old West. The lean story pulls together an eclectic group of killers for a tournament where our main character’s survival is anything but certain.
This is a good comic. It’s good because Borden escalates the tension on nearly every page. The competitors needle each other, insult each other, and nearly come to blows as they approach the starting point. The tournament is a fight to the death, and you can feel the anxious heat long before the starting pistol fires. It’s all about building tension, and Borden pulls it off perfectly.
However, the issue isn’t all hype with a last-page start. When the pistol fires, the contestants go at it with full steam. The action is merciless, brutal, and final. When combining equal elements of quickly rising tension and brutal action, this becomes a powerful entry in the series.
The art by Brummond is above average. You could argue the character faces are cartoonishly exaggerated, but that exaggeration brings memorable distinctiveness to each character. But when it matters most, the action is on point. Brummond draws your focus to the action with graceful choreography and effective use of color to accentuate the lethal moments.
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]
If you don’t recall how Colman cooper wound up in a death tournament, first read our Lead City #1 review.
We begin with Coman standing vigil by his wife’s bedside. Miraculously, her fever breaks, and she awakes from a deep sleep. It appears Colman no longer needs money for a doctor, but his entry in the Lead City tournament is irreversible. He heads down to the registration table and receives his instructions and a map of Lead City.
The competitors make their way up the hill to Lead City and the starting point. Once the contest starts, they can use whatever weapons they find to eliminate each other. With each step up the hill, the group grows restless for the coming fight. They begin insulting each other, taunting each other, to throw each other off their focus.
Soon, the competitors are ready, and the starting pistol fires. We conclude the issue with a mad dash, early losers, and sneak attacks.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
LEAD CITY #2 is a tight, tense action thriller set in the Old West. The writing builds anxious momentum on every page leading up to the start of the tournament, and when things get going, the action is merciless. This is a recommended pick for this week.
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