Rat City #2, by Image Comics on 5/15/24, follows Peter Cairn’s transformation into something monstrous after a necroplasmic explosion forever altered the nanites in his body.
Credits:
- Writer: Erica Schultz
- Artist: Zé Carlos
- Colorist: Jay David Ramos
- Letterer: Erica Schultz
- Cover Artist: Bjorn Barends
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: May 15, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 29
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of Rat City #2:
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Peter Cairn in Rat City #1, his life as a blue-collar worker with advanced prosthetic legs took an unexpected turn when the necroplasmic explosion from Spawn #301 rippled into Peter’s dimension, creating unusual side effects. The issue ended with Peter seeing a vision of a costumed character with a flowing red cape.
In Rat City #2, Peter passes out as the effects of the necroplasmic energy play havoc with the nanites in his body. Peter’s former military ally, Rhys, comes by the apartment to wake Peter up and deliver a message – the P.T.S. company put out a call to anyone with their prosthetics to come in for a free upgrade.
Peter and Rhys relax in the P.T.S. waiting room with another former patient. The man seems shaken up by a vision of a “demon” he witnessed just after the explosion. The description sounds oddly like the one Peter had in his apartment.
Rhys is called in for his upgrades. He takes a seat in the procedure chair at the direction of Dr. Boze. The Doctor gives Rhys a sedative that knocks him out cold, and Dr. Boze orders his assistants to take Rhys’s cybernetic hands apart and take blood samples to examine the nanites in his bloodstream.
When the lab assistants begin picking nanites from Rhys’s implants, he’s suddenly overcome by a strange green glow around his face. Rhys comes out of his drugged state, and his body expands with bigger muscles. Rhys begins to rampage through the lab, prompting Dr. Boze to call in security.
Peter hears the fight from the waiting room and tries to break through the door. As his anger grows, sections of Peter’s body begin transforming.
Suddenly, Rhys breaks through the lab door, but he’s shot down by Dr. Boze’s security forces. Shocked and angered by seeing his friend gunned down, Peter changes into a cybernetic version of Spawn.
Character Development:
Although longtime readers will recognize the telltale signs of a character becoming a Hellspawn, Erica Schultz’s variant on the origin tale puts Peter Cairn in the middle of a tragic transformation that feels like something out of a werewolf story. Peter doesn’t know what’s happening to him, and he reacts with confusion, anger, and a dash of fear.
We know from the first issue that Peter can be a rough and tough soldier, but the alien nature of his transformation is handled exactly as you would imagine from any typical person in the same situation.
Artwork and Presentation:
Zé Carlos is no stranger to Spawn-related comics, so he was a good choice for this title. The energy and wow moments pop. The figure work is outstanding. And Ramos’s color choices and application are excellent.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
In aggregate, this issue breaks down into two major scenes with a little bit of detail in between. The story reads quickly, the setup and sequence of events that lead to Peter’s transformation make sense, and the ending creates a high level of anticipation.
In short, the pacing is rock solid, and the short plot makes up for the brevity with a strong buildup and payoff.
Thematic Exploration:
As noted above in the character section, Erica Schultz is leaning hard into tragedy with a tale about a man cursed to become a monster. It’s too soon to tell how much control Peter will have over his new form or what it can do, but Peter is an unwilling participant in his curse.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Peter’s transformation begs a larger question with respect to the larger Spawnverse. If anyone who gets their power from either Heaven or Hell is now powerless, does that mean Peter’s dimension could provide a loophole to the problem of an Earth surrounded by a dead zone? Is Peter’s Heaven and Hell the same as Spawn’s, or does each dimension have a different version?
For now, Rat City exists separately from everything else.
Final Thoughts:
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
Rat City #2 leans heavily into the classic tragedy of a man cursed to become a monster. Erica Schultz builds momentum to end the issue with a wow moment, and Zé Carlos’s art is excellent. If you’re in the mood for an Elseworlds version of Spawn, this story is shaping up to be a recommended pick.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.