Black Cloak #2 ADVANCE REVIEW: You can't keep a good Cloak down, Phaedra is back on the case.
Black Cloak #2.
Written by Kelly Thompson.
Art by Meredith McClarren.
Letters by Becca Carey.
It turns out being a Black Cloak is harder than we thought. That's probably why our unlucky protagonist, Phaedra Essex, was nearly killed... twice, in issue 1 of Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClarren's brilliant new fantasy detective series, Black Cloak.
But it seems that Phae is built of sterner stuff, and won't let something as small as two attempts on her life slow her down! Of course, to solve a mystery in the present, sometimes you need to start by looking back. Are you ready for a trip down Memory Lane?
I really liked issue 1 of Black Cloak; it did everything that a first issue is meant to do. And now we arrive at issue 2... and I'm loving this series even more. If Issue 1 was all about introducing us to the world of Kiros, this second issue is meant to help us get to know Phaedra.
While the case does move on, somewhat, the lion's share of this issue is devoted to expanding our understanding of our leading lady. Between her recovery from last issue's near mortal encounter, to a bittersweet memory of her youth with Frey, I finished issue two feeling much closer to our protagonist.
Blend all of this with some more subtle world-building and some very interesting lore moments, and you end up with an EXTREMELY satisfying second issue, which left me craving more once the final page was read.
McClarren's artwork continues to impress; I was particularly fond of the washed out, almost monochrome artwork during the flashback sequence. Working in very light blues and greens, the whole scene has such a melencholy feel to it. You can almost picture Phae sighing to herself, as she recalls this particular exchange. Even if there had been no dialogue, you'd have instantly understood where your head was meant to be, witnessing the events pictured.
I said it before, and I'll say it again: Start reading Black Cloak NOW, because this series is going to take us on a real journey, and you're going to want to get on early. Between Thompson's engaging plot work, and McClarren's clean art packed to the brim with SO much character, you're going to want to spend a lot of time in Kiros, going forward!
An easy 4 POPs out of 5, for this strong second issue! And the only reason it's not a perfect 5 is because as strong as this issue is, I can tell Thompson and McClarren are building to something amazing here and I want to give myself space to show how good this is going to get!
If you love bittersweet memories, brewing political intrigue, and hilarious interrogations, check out Black Cloak #2. Releasing on February 22, 2023, published by Image Comics, and available from anywhere you get your comics! So run and tell your LCS to reserve you a copy.
Taheg Gloder is a Freelance Copywriter from England. Obsessed with comics and Manga since his teens, he now splits his time between writing comic reviews and retrospectives for POP, and doing reactions on his YouTube Channel, The Dragon & The Hound. He lives alone, because he’s a hermit.
