Black Mariah #2 is a comic written by Vesper Aeon with art by Anna Foubert and lettering by Marco Della Verde. This team of mercenaries is sent on a mission that makes some of them question the moral implications. In this issue we’ll follow this team as they use stealth, violence, and smooth talking in an attempt to complete their mission. This mission is undertaken by a team of five people, two woman and three men. The ladies who don’t get along are Duluth and Renault, and the men are Gaurav, Andrus, and Tranh. The interactions between them help drive some points home but it isn’t the focus like in the last issue. The plot sees this team attempting to take down a weapons manufacturer and the mission hits few snags and requires some quick thinking. Action here isn’t gory or bloody but does look like it hurts. The pace here is steady with a varyingly intense feel. The dialogue has the vibe of an 80’s action flick but with a lot deep talking points about decisions and culpability. Due to discussions like that, there are a few wordy pages. Overall this is an issue that shows the full team in action and provides some excitement and it may leave you with some thoughts after.

            This is a black-and-white comic with some significant shadowing. The majority of this story takes place in a facility with long hallways, high walls, and everything looks sterile. The expression level here is about average with a lot of the emotions coming through in the eyes. The faces do have a decent amount of detail and usually get their looks across. Face sameness is a problem here and one of the few ways you’ll be able to tell characters apart is by their hairstyle. The action is nearly completely physical and any scenes tend to be short and to the point.

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes.

“Would I like this?”

If you like futuristic stories starring a team of mercenaries going on missions involving stealth and subterfuge this is for you.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

PG-13.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“Don’t worry about me, Jimmy. I know where I’m going.”

 

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B09H6614S7?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&storeType=ebooks

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blackmariah/black-mariah-threats/description

 

***** I received this review copy for free. *****

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 22

Violent Pages: 3, for 14% of the comic

Sexy Pages: 0, for 0% of the comic

 

**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**

 

Violence Level – 2

“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”

“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”

“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”

“This was a tournament arc.”

“All my life I had to fight.”

 

Gore Level – 1

“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”

“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”

“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”

“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”

“This is a slaughterhouse.”

 

Death Level – 4

“And everybody lived happily ever after.”

“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”

“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”

“Yeah this was a tragedy.”

“Think Gettysburg.”

 

Porn Level – 1

“Everybody kept their clothes on.”

“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”

“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”

“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”

“Oh. This is porn.”