Hellbreak #2
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Brian Churilla
Publisher: Oni Press
Release Date: April 29, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99
With its second issue, Bunn and Churilla’s Hellbreak continues to be an overwhelmingly creative and interesting comic that, unfortunately, lacks some emotional depth (so far)
Bunn quickly corrects the first issue’s stiff dialogue here with some sharp writing and dialectical switch-ups. Here, he effortlessly sets up this juxtaposition of religion, science, philosophy, guilt and heroism here that makes even the more groan inducing typical soldier one-liners interesting and the acidic words of a demon possessed man especially frightening. There’s all the potential to make this a book about God and the Devil or about mortal man depending on where Bunn wants to take it. I have no doubt that the story and characters could lend themselves to either or even a third, untouched upon as of yet, avenue. That’s based solely on how genuine and fleshed out the concept at this book’s core is, too.
Churilla’s art fits the tone here better than the first issue. The maggot vomiting scene in particular captures the dark depths of the book’s premise in a way that I hope is explored more as these excursions go on. Each new Hell, as well, is a unique and flexible way of allowing Churilla to play around with artistic styles which is already apart just between this issue and the last. An exciting prospect, to be sure, when this Hell only in issue 2, looks and feels as good as it does.
What’s still lacking, however, is a reason to care. Yes, the cliffhanger at the end introduces this awesome element of hell-bent tension but, I don’t have a reason to care about the lives of these soldiers. Readers familiar with Bunn should know that he’s capable of emotional tension with his works because The Sixth Gun is ripe with it. There’s a little bit, too with the fleshing out of this priest character but still not enough for what appears to be the main cast, the extraction team. With only 19 drops under their hell-wandering belts, there’s a lot of room for a myriad of emotions as they experience more and more the depths of depravity and mortality that Bunn looks like he’s going to explore. I hope that, soon, he takes advantage of making the characters react to it.
Issue two doesn’t really make or break Hellbreak yet. It adds a little depth and flexibility to an interesting premise and shows that these creators are honing in on something special. But, it doesn’t deliver on the characterizations that this concept deserves.
Artist: Brian Churilla
Publisher: Oni Press
Release Date: April 29, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99
With its second issue, Bunn and Churilla’s Hellbreak continues to be an overwhelmingly creative and interesting comic that, unfortunately, lacks some emotional depth (so far)
Bunn quickly corrects the first issue’s stiff dialogue here with some sharp writing and dialectical switch-ups. Here, he effortlessly sets up this juxtaposition of religion, science, philosophy, guilt and heroism here that makes even the more groan inducing typical soldier one-liners interesting and the acidic words of a demon possessed man especially frightening. There’s all the potential to make this a book about God and the Devil or about mortal man depending on where Bunn wants to take it. I have no doubt that the story and characters could lend themselves to either or even a third, untouched upon as of yet, avenue. That’s based solely on how genuine and fleshed out the concept at this book’s core is, too.
Churilla’s art fits the tone here better than the first issue. The maggot vomiting scene in particular captures the dark depths of the book’s premise in a way that I hope is explored more as these excursions go on. Each new Hell, as well, is a unique and flexible way of allowing Churilla to play around with artistic styles which is already apart just between this issue and the last. An exciting prospect, to be sure, when this Hell only in issue 2, looks and feels as good as it does.
What’s still lacking, however, is a reason to care. Yes, the cliffhanger at the end introduces this awesome element of hell-bent tension but, I don’t have a reason to care about the lives of these soldiers. Readers familiar with Bunn should know that he’s capable of emotional tension with his works because The Sixth Gun is ripe with it. There’s a little bit, too with the fleshing out of this priest character but still not enough for what appears to be the main cast, the extraction team. With only 19 drops under their hell-wandering belts, there’s a lot of room for a myriad of emotions as they experience more and more the depths of depravity and mortality that Bunn looks like he’s going to explore. I hope that, soon, he takes advantage of making the characters react to it.
Issue two doesn’t really make or break Hellbreak yet. It adds a little depth and flexibility to an interesting premise and shows that these creators are honing in on something special. But, it doesn’t deliver on the characterizations that this concept deserves.
A Look Inside
