NARCO #2 (IMAGE COMICS)

Jess was found murdered by the police and Marcus was found next to her, passed out. Now Marcus is the primary suspect for her murder, and he doesn’t know what fully happened due to his afflictions. How will he start to mount his defense to clear his name?

Narco #2 – Written By Doug Wagner – Art By Daniel Hillyard – Colors By Dave Stewart – Letters By Ed Dukeshire – Edited By Kevin Gardner - Published By Image Comics

Credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

Marcus wakes up next to Jess and thinks everything is great, until he sees the blood and realizes the police are also there. After he passed out the intruder in her apartment must have killed her and then placed his body inside the apartment as well. Unfortunately for Marcus the Detectives have him as the prime suspect for Jess’ murder. After questioning Marcus at the station and hearing about what he recalls and how his narcolepsy works, the cops must set him free because his friends got him an attorney. Even though he is free, he is guilt ridden and distraught. But he must put this to the side so he can help find the real killer before he is the one who takes the fall for it. Lucky for him he has a couple of surprising new allies in this quest.

WRITING:

This issue continues right where issue one left off and drops you straight into the direct aftermath of the murder of Jess. Doug Wagner shows how Marcus is confused about what is going on, well still being distraught about the loss of someone he cared about deeply. Due to his narcolepsy the confusion and holes feel more plausible and allow the reader to really feel bad about the situation he finds himself in. Wagner does an amazing job of making the reader feel emotions for Marcus well also not revealing too much which keeps the mystery alive in this issue. The whodunnit element of the story is its strongest attribute and this drives that mystery forward.

As good as the mystery element is in this issue, it faces one big problem. The pace feels rushed and doesn’t let the narrative breath. We go from discovering the murder, right to the police station, released from the police station, self-investigation, surprise team-up, and onto investigating a different suspect all in the 32 pages of the issue. The mystery and suspense would have been more effective if the pace was slowed a bit. The rushing of the story takes away from the suspense of the mystery that is unfolding. This isn’t so egregious that it ruins the issue but is definitely a noteworthy detraction.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this issue matches up well with the story. Daniel Hillyard keeps the artwork simple and that really puts the focus on the story and characters. Hillyard shows what he needs to do well ensuring the reader doesn’t get distracted by unnecessary elements of the artwork. Simple backgrounds also emphasize the important things that are playing out in the forefront of the panels, which help readers focus and lock in on important clues and scenes that are playing out. Couple this with Dave Stewart’s simplistic color pallet that compliments the artwork, and you have a good-looking book that puts over what needs to be put over.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF NARCO #1

Final Thoughts:

Narco #2 does a good job of drawing the reader into this world and keeping them on the edge of their seat. The pacing is a little quick, which takes away some of the suspense that should have been built up. However, even with that detraction this is still a fun and mysterious whodunnit that most readers will enjoy. On top of the actual story, the horror movie inspired covers are also super cool and will be a welcome addition to any collector’s collection. Grab a copy at the LCS this week and give this story a shot, it should more than meet your expectations.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10

Let me know your thoughts on Narco #2 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!