ROYALS #2 (IMAGE COMICS)

After pulling off the perfect con at the poker tournament, the Wahng brothers are both celebrating in their own ways. However, their celebration will be cut short as Daeshim Kang doesn’t like being conned. He doesn’t know how they conned him, but he is going to find out one way or another.

Royals #2 - Written By Derek Kirk Kim – Art By Jacob Perez - Published By Image Comics

Credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

After the successful outing at the poker tournament Castor and Paul are on cloud nine. Castor is celebrating with some pretty women back at the hotel. While Paul is out with a very nice girl he met named Minah. Unfortunately for the brothers, the gangster Daeshim feels like he has been conned, and even though he doesn’t know how, he is going to find out. After Paul and Minah separate, he is chased down by Daeshim’s men. As he is running for his life, he keeps trying to beckon his brother to no avail. Eventually he is caught alone with Castor, and they are interrogated by Daeshim until they reveal their secret.

WRITING:

The issue continues the fun and humorful nature of the first issue, while adding some more serious dramatic elements to move the plot along. Derek Kirk Kim captures the humor and fun perfectly, well also not being afraid of touching on more serious situations. The fun and playful sides of the story never diminish the more serious underlying plot. As this story plays out and the plot becomes more defined it naturally takes a more serious tone. However, Kim makes it a point to still keep the fun alive and that should really be commended. A huge personal shout out to Kim for his Face/Off homage when it is revealed that Paul’s real name is Pollux.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this issue complements the playful tone of the story. Jacob Perez employs a cartoon art style that makes reading the book feel like watching an animated series. This approach enhances the light-heartedness without detracting from the story's more serious moments. The vibrant colors also suit the energetic atmosphere of the narrative. Despite the fun style, the illustrations still effectively convey the weight of the issue’s more dramatic scenes.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF ROYALS #1

Final Thoughts:

Royals #2 continues the fun while adding more to the underlying serious plot. As the story flushes out more it gives the series better direction and a plot that you can follow. It does all of this while still keeping the fun and humor that make this story so entertaining. Add to that some great pop culture easter eggs and you have a fun joy ride of a series. This should certainly be on your list of books to pick up at the shop this week, as well as adding it to your Pull List as well.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10

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