One of Multiversity Comics’ Best Mini-Series of 2014 returns as Ryan Ferrier and Valentine Ramon takes us back to a world where machines… well, they don’t exactly rule so much as they live very mundane lives as the dominant society on the planet. Kind of like we do now, y’know?
This is “D4VE2” #1! Read on for our spoiler free review below to find out why this book should not be missed.
Written by Ryan Ferrier
Illustrated by Valentin Ramon
ONE YEAR LATER. With the world seemingly at peace, things seem pretty all right on 34RTH until a strange ship’s arrival sends D4VE head-first into an existential crisis: an inconceivable blast from the past that threatens not only D4VE’s dwindling relationship with 5COTTY, but all of robot-kind itself!
Welcome back to 34RTH! Things are just as shitty as when we left it. Sure, D4VE has a kushy job and he’s the saviour of the world, but his son is still a butthorn, his wife still hates him and to top it off the world has come under threat by crash-landed space junk.
“D4VE2” #1 revisits the unique and imaginative world created by Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon one year after the events of the first series. Now, while I normally would reassure you, dear reader, that this issue can be read without any prior knowledge of the first series (which it can), I’m telling you now to read the first “D4VE” series before reading this issue. Not because you need to know what happens, but because it’s a genius comic book that is hilarious and heartfelt. Because of this lofty status, despite the hype surrounding the release of “D4VE2” #1, there’s still that moment of hesitation. What if it isn’t as good as the first? Especially with comedies, the idea of the failed follow up can be a devastating blow.
Thankfully, Ferrier and Ramon have managed to avoid the dreaded sequel curse with this follow up as this issue is just as hilarious and just as heartfelt as the original was. “D4VE2” seems to be taking the Rocky II approach to sequels as it feels both fresh and familiar by using a very similar narrative structure, but uses it to address the ramifications of the original story. This isn’t a complaint, by the way, it’s actually a compliment. This tactic ensures that this issue still feels like “D4VE” while moving the story and the characters forward. We see where D4VE is now thanks to his new job, but Ferrier and Ramon are quick to remind readers that this is still the down on his luck schlub we came to love in the first series and that a nice new job doesn’t mean everything’s suddenly great for him.
Ryan Ferrier has not missed a step in returning to write “D4VE” as this issue is just as funny, just as heartfelt and just as foul mouthed as our beloved original series. The danger of sequels, especially with comedies, is the temptation of giving the audience more of the same leads to repeating the same jokes. This doesn’t happen here as Ferrier uses the same characters and relationships to create new dynamics that lead to hilariously awkward and cringe-worthy scenes as life just can’t help but dump on D4VE.
One of the things that really shows Ferrier’s skill as a writer is his way to dig under the surface of the comedy of the series and produce incredibly emotive and heartfelt scenes. One scene in this issue had my jaw on the floor because of the completely unexpected was Ferrier drops the comedic angle and exposes the real emotions of these characters. It’s a scene that completely reinvents what is already the best character in the series into something truly amazing.
Speaking of creators who continue to be on top form, Valentin Ramon is back and has brought his gorgeous artwork that made the world of the original miniseries stand out so much. The griminess of the over-populated, over-poluted world of “D4VE”, complete with riveted panel and grease stain, is so intact that it feels like we never left. The world is packed with characters and Ramon keeps their visual presence all distinct and unique from one another. Even though this is a sea of faceless robots, it never feels like they aren’t people with personalities. It’s a strange dichotomy, but one that keeps Ramon’s artwork feeling fresh and strangely unique even though we’re familiar with this world. It’s an eerie kind of familiarity, though, and one that hits close to the heart of the social commentary that “D4VE” is built around.
Continued belowRamon’s skill at filling each page with visual humour returns too. One of brilliant qualities of Valentin Ramon as an artist is how much personality he is able to give to the characters of “D4VE” through their body language, especially seeing as none of them have emotive faces. They are robots, after all. The idea of a comic where none of the characters can show emotions through facial expressions is one that, by all counts, probably shouldn’t work, but Ramon manages it through the amount of character he is able to express through body language.
This is still just the beginning of the series and one of the drawbacks of sequels is the time required to reintroduce all the characters we know and love from the original. “D4VE2” #1 dedicates pretty much the entire issue to that, with the story hook that will play out throughout the rest of the series only teased at with a last page reveal. It’s a hell of a hook, mind you, but returning fans of “D4VE” will need to temper their expectations and enjoy the comedy of the world with this issue rather than expecting it to hit the ground running. It’s a good thing, then, that the comedy is what makes this series gold.
All in all, this is a fantastic return from Ferrier and Ramon to a world that continues to be unique even in this second helping. The charm of a world full of robots working medial jobs and having relationship problems and an asshole kid hasn’t worn off at all and, in fact, continues to have material to mine as shown by this issue. This issue shows that “D4VE” was not just a one trick pony as speaks to a series that will continue to delight. And I can’t wait to see where that last page reveal takes the series.
Final Verdict: 8.6 – A hilarious return from one of the best comics of 2014.
