In the world of Eclipse, the sun burns so hot that it will literally melt the people living on earth alive. The residents have been forced to move underground and away from the damaging rays.
In Eclipse #1 Bax was tasked to rescue a young girl and bring her to safety and we were introduced to a villain who has the ability to survive the intense radiation of the sun.
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And in [easyazon_link identifier=”B01J6ETOB6″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Eclipse #2[/easyazon_link], writer Zack Kaplan uses almost the same scenario with Bax leading a team of people, but instead of searching for a girl he is looking for his new nemesis. This is a bit of a let down because the issue quickly resolved the events of the last issue, and then plunges the main character back into another scenario where he is looking for someone.
In my review for Eclipse #1, I wrote that Bax seems to be reminiscent of silent action movie types like Korben Dallas from the The 5th Element, a better comparison might have been as the Man with No Name played by Clint Eastwood.
Bax is a little more talkative in this issue. This might be disappointing for some, but to have an almost completely speechless character would seem a tad annoying for any long form series.
Eclipse #2 works, but it doesn’t seem to click as much as the first issue in terms of storytelling. Kaplan would have been better spent using most of the pages of Eclipse #2 with Bax and the girl trying to flee from the villain, and trying not have her get burned by the sun.
This story thread could have easily continued for a few issues, and would have made for an excellent man against city scenario similar to Escape from New York or season one of The Walking Dead when Rick Grimes makes it to Atlanta. It would create tension and suspense in the story leaving readers wanting more and looking forward to the next several issues. Instead there is no suspense.
Artwise the book looks good, Giovanni Timpano manages to make a horrifying scene of melted bodies look wonderful to look at. Perhaps one of the most memorable scenes drawn in this comic, is the scene where a search party enters a church. The church would appear abandoned on the outside, but instead the congregation sits melted alive by the sun and stuck the pew seats.
Perhaps the biggest praise though should go to colorist Chris Northrop. Northrop uses a very pale palette of colors. At times the pictures looked almost a tad washed out like an old photograph. It makes the heat of the world almost feel real.
The Verdict
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01J6ETOB6″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Eclipse #2[/easyazon_link] is just an ok issue that doesn’t live up to expectation. It feels like a repeat of old territory, which isn’t good considering this is only the second issue of the series. Artist Giovanni Timpano and colorist Chris Northrop do a good job with the art and color on this issue, and may be the best reason to pick it up.