Book Review: Driver for the Dead – Issue 2

Issue: Driver for the Dead #2
Created, Written: John Heffernan
Pencils, Inks: Leonardo Manco
Paints: Kinsun Loh, Jerry Choo
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Renae Geerlings
Publisher: Radical Publishing
Release Date: September 2010
Pages: 56
Price: $4.99

“After successfully retrieving the body of Mose Freeman, Alabaster Graves and Mose’s great-grandaughter Marissa Freeman are headed back to New Orleans to give the renowned witch doctor a proper burial. Unfortunately for them, the undead patchwork necromancer Uriah Fallow is hot on their trail and he’s after Mose’s most protected secret. When Fallow captures Marissa, it’s up to Graves to get her back, and the only ally he’s got is the mysterious magic of Grandma Hattie. But what is Mose’s secret and how will Graves rescue Marissa?“

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
It’s just so GORE-geous! Issue #1 had a certain flair to it for sure, but it wasn’t until I sat down and looked at the pages of issue #2 that I was blown away. To go into a bit more detail we have 3 kinds of panels in this issue. A nice straight out storytelling panel, an action panel, and the a panel that contains some of the best damn bloody artwork I have seen this year. The artwork in this issue just pops off of every page, and now your telling me there is even going to be some lycanthropy thrown into issue #3! This is easily up there as one of the best looking series this year.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
So with issue #1 we saw a good deal of possible subplots being developed, well with #2 it was just a balls to the wall straight forward shot of holy hell! I am such a sucker for anything Louisiana related, so a good voodoo horror story is perfect for my detached head to take in. I will let you know there is a lot of story here, and some damn good work building on what happened in the first issue. The ideas presented mixed with the regional legends just works.

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
When you come across a book that has the artwork found here, you may feel a little like the story can’t compete. Well my friends, let me tell you that this is a book where that is not the case. This is solid from start to finish and I will not stop recommending people pick up the first to issues of the book until #3 comes out, because then I will tell you to grab all three. Tons of action on top of a great storyline have me coming back for more, and now that I think about I am sad it will be over with #3. This is easily moving to the top of my mini series list. The only thing that I am sad about is not being able to read the whole thing in one shot. I hate waiting!

If you would like to buy or know more about Driver for the Dead #2 you can find it at your LCS or at http://www.radicalpublishing.com/