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Review: C.O.W.L. #2

By | June 27th, 2014
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

After a strong start, the creative team dives even deeper into the world of unions, politics and superheroes in “C.O.W.L.” #2.

Written by Kyle Higgins & Alec Siegel
Illustrated by Rod Reis

Moles, murder, and mayhem. As C.O.W.L. prepares to enter negotiations with the city, scandal threatens the organization. Can The Grey Raven keep C.O.W.L. from tearing itself apart? Plus, what really happened between him and Sparrow?

The first issue of “C.OW.L.” represented the end of an era for the union of Chicago heroes, as the last major villain from the organization formative was killed. Now they face a future that makes them question their own importance and cast doubts on their role in the city. It doesn’t take super-powers to take down a mugger, after all, and without the constant threat of villainous plot, C.O.W.L. could very well become irrelevant. The union leaders, however, have already put in motion plans to use all of their political influence to ensure the organization’s survival, and yet out on the street, the heroes themselves are facing personal crises of faith, which soon threaten to have deadly consequences.

After two issues and 50-some pages, Kyle Higgins and Alex Siegel have mapped out a world that already feels enormous. The issue opens with two police officers in their car on patrol, and then three pages later that story dives into a great World War II flashback before jumping to union leader Geoffrey Warner as he navigates city politics, ending with another C.O.W.L . detective investigating a secret file that hints at a larger conspiracy. Needless to say, a lot of ground gets covered in this issue. Higgins and Siegel weave a delicate balancing act with this many plot points, and they keep everything balanced and paced correctly. No story overloads another, and all are entertaining while being different from each other.

At this point, the book feels more like an anthology as the stories are not obviously connected, but they do all speak to the decaying state of the titular group. The writers are wise enough to know that all the characters don’t need to be constantly walking by each other in the hallway for the world to feel connected.

The issue is heavy on dialogue, as there still is a good deal of world building left to do, but Higgins and Siegel just manage to keep the book from disappearing under an avalanche of words. There is a lot of story information that needs to get out, but it never feels like the characters are just listing pieces of info that the reader needs to know. The more character-driven moments are entertaining and witty, such as when Officer Karl informs Officer Grant that the latter’s kid is a real asshole. This scene serves the dual purpose of giving the reader a laugh, and highlighting how the more grounded world of “C.O.W.L.” views the disparity between the super-powered and non-powered heroes. The idea of contrasting street level characters, your Hawkeyes and Batmans, with the cosmically powered Superman and The Sentry, is not new but by viewing it through the prism of a father/son relationship adds a more complicated layer to the scenario.

Just two issues into “C.O.W.L.”, Rod Reis is making a compelling argument that he is the breakout artist of 2014. Seriously, people, this book is gorgeous and every page looks like it should be framed. The painted images are stark and when mixed with the de-saturated color, it mimics the decay of the organization itself. The tone is certainly gritty, but in Reis’ hands that doesn’t mean drab or boring. The surrealistic style makes every panel unique and worthy of attention. Even though the majority of the issue consists of two people talking in various locations, the painted layouts and backgrounds are always impressive.

There are two action sections that bookend the issue. First there is the aforementioned WWII flashback, and it looks like the greatest pulp war story ever. Reis wisely avoids any homages to the era of Captain America punching Hitler in the face, and portrays the scene as chaotic and deadly. As the scene transitions to these super soldiers returning home to wage war against the Chicago underworld, the images and battles remain just as intense and it perfectly sums up how the old guard of the union view their role as soldiers in an even longer fight.

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The climax of the issue occurs when Grant charges into an alley in pursuit of a possibly super-powered thug, intent on proving his own worth with or without powers. As Grant promptly gets his butt kicked, Reis delivers a scene that’s the best of Alex Ross and Frank Miller put together. The color is reduced to almost black and white, leaving the bright red of Grant’s blood to make the images stand out in an incredibly visceral way. There is the slight possibility that some might find the highly stylized scene to be disorienting, but the fact that there are only two combatants make it easier for the reader to adjust to the ethereal looking panels.

“C.O.W.L.” #1 showed tons of potential, and this second issue only makes the work bigger and deeper and the characters even more compelling. Kyle Higgins and Alex Siegel expertly pace the issue and avoid boring exposition, while Rod Reis delivers page after page of gallery worthy art that is different from just about anything else in stores right now. The plots can feel a little disparate at times, but there is every indication that it will all come together as the series progresses and the union’s future becomes even more uncertain.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy. Frame the WWII page.


Matt Dodge

Matt Dodge is originally from Ottawa (go Sens!), where he attended University and somehow ended up with a degree in history and political science. He currently resides in Toronto where he is a full-time procrastinator who occasionally takes a break to scribble some pretentious nonsense on a piece of paper. He knows way too much about hockey, Saved By The Bell, and Star Wars. Find him on Twitter @Matt_Dodge.

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