PHOENIX FILES #2, from Zenescope Entertainment on March 22nd, 2023, brings the world closer to oblivion when the witch’s ritual gives rise to the heir of Dagon. Can Phoenix and Avril survive what comes next?
The Details
- Written by: Chas! Pangburn
- Art by: Julius Abrera
- Colors by: Fran Gamboa, J.C. Ruiz
- Letters by: Chas! Pangburn
- Cover art by: Drew Edward Johnson (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: March 22, 2023
Is It Good?
PHOENIX FILES #2 leans heavily into Lovecraftian lore with a witchy ritual, water monster, magical fights, and an end-of-the-world scenario that will test our hero’s limits. On the whole, this is an entertaining issue that keeps within Zenescope’s theme of “The Year of Lovecraft” while standing on its own.
Chas! Pangburn’s story centers around the mysterious witch’s plan to create an heir to Dagon and Phoeinx and Avril’s effort to stop her. Unfortunately, the witch’s ritual works, and our heroes scramble to deal with the aftermath.
Pangburn nails the writing with fast-paced action, plenty of plot developments, the introduction of a new character who may be a friend or foe, and a solid cliffhanger.
The minor down point is in the dialog. The witty banter between Phoenix and Avril frequently slips from witty to eyerollingly corny more than once. The goal of the banter is to establish a bonding rapport between Phoenix and Avril, but the cheesy vernacular sometimes goes overboard, and it feels too forced (i.e. insert Steve Buscemi’s “Hello, Fellow Kids” meme).
Quibbles about dialog aside, this is an action-heavy issue, so a good bit of pressure to deliver is on Abrera, Gamboa, and Ruiz. Thankfully, they deliver. The action is energetic (literally), the fight choreography flows naturally, the panel compositions are strong, and the colors pop.
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 PHOENIX FILES #1 review to find out how Phoenix got his powers.
We begin mid-battle with Phoenix and Avril fighting against the witch and her gillmen as they make the next ritual attempt by drowning an innocent woman. Unfortunately for our heroes, the ritual works. The woman transforms into a new person named Tempest with gills and powers she doesn’t yet understand.
Tempest falls unconscious, and Phoenix grabs her while the heroes escape. Later, Phoenix calls in an update to HQ and is told to get to a rendezvous point for extraction. Unfortunately (again) for our heroes, the voice on the other end of the line is Nyarlathotep in disguise.
We conclude the issue with a double-cross, a sneak attack, and a new ritual.
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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PHOENIX FILES #2 delivers a fun, action-packed middle issue in this 3-parter about a witch’s attempt to end the world through the heir of Dagon. The action is well-paced, the story has plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes, and the cliffhanger is solid.
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