I was given the honor of receiving an advanced copy of the second issue of the “Geek-Girl” mini-series by creator/author Sam Johnson. “Geek-Girl Volume 2 #2: Crime War Part 2” is written by Sam Johnson, art by Carlos Granda, colors by Chunlin Zhao, and lettered by Paul McLaren. This issue has 24 pages and this second installment has a release date of July 11, 2018 from Markosia Comics. The rating is Teen+ and the price retails at $2.99.
As a refresher, here are some blurbs used to describe Volume 2, Issue 1:
“In a desperate fight to save her city of Maine from mysterious new villain Lightning Storm, Ruby gave her all… and neither she nor Lightning Storm were left standing…”
“Now, new-crooks-on-the-block The League of Larcenists look to grow in number and capitalize on the hole in law enforcement left by Lightning Storm. And in Ruby’s absence, Summer has picked up the glasses and taken on the mantle of Geek-Girl…”
Looking at the cover for “Geek-Girl Volume 2, Issue 2,” we see the members of the “League of Larcenists.” Readers saw these villains at the end of the previous issue, and now we’ll be able to see more of them and what they’re up to. The beginning of this story takes place when Lightning Storm was trashing City Hall (prior to Geek-Girl‘s coma fighting and defeating Lightning Storm.) Then the story shifts to the present, in New Jersey…
Readers will be introduced to Terry, a guy who recently joined the League of Larcenists. He’s talking to his wife about this opportunity he received with them, and Terry gives his wife an insight of what the League does and represents. His wife is feeding their baby boy, all in the meantime they and we, the readers, find out that Geek-Girl has come out of her coma. This is great news for Summer James, who was filling in for Ruby Kaye, the original Geek-Girl. Since Ruby is out of the hospital and at her parent’s house, Summer asks if she can visit Ruby there. Naturally, Ruby says yes so she can see her friend.
During this part of the story, the scenes shift from the hideout of the League of Larcenists and Ruby‘s parent’s house. At the hideout, readers will see how Terry reacts to the leader, known as “Pig Head,” because he literally has half of a pig’s head on the right side of his face. How will the other members react and treat Terry? Is Terry fit to be a member of the League of Larcenists? And at the residence of Ruby‘s parent’s house, will Ruby‘s family be happy to see Summer, especially since she shows up dressed in the Geek-Girl costume? How will Ruby feel about her friend filling in for her during the time she was in a coma? I won’t spoil anything here because comic book readers should definitely read this installment of “Geek-Girl Volume 2, Issue 2,” but as I stated in my review for issue ONE, “The legacy of Geek-Girl continues on like it did when Ruby Kaye held that mantle, meaning that the new Geek-Girl’s super powers don’t necessarily make her ‘super.'” Readers will find out what I’m referring to once they read this issue, the realism is definitely noted during this scene.
The final act of this story shows us how much inexperience Summer has as Geek-Girl, and how little things can cause big mistakes. Overall, the second chapter of “Crime War” is immense, the story continues on nicely, and the best part of this series, these characters, is the characterization they’re given. They’re all too real, and the titular character isn’t so super, she has flaws, emotions, and she’s not perfect. Summer is relatable and readers will know what Terry is going through as well. The creative team has done it again, bringing all kinds of emotions and action into this story, all while advancing the story at a great pace. I rate “Geek-Girl Volume 2 #2: Crime War Part 2” 4.6 Geek-Heads out of 5, this is a series that I highly recommend to all readers, and the characters are ones you’ll care about. “Geek-Girl Volume 2 #2: Crime War Part 2” has a release date of July 11, 2018 from Markosia Comics and pre-orders can be found by clicking on the links below:
Geek-Girl and all characters/contents copyright © 2018 Sam Johnson.
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