Why Is This Title Being Published Again? A Review of Inhumans #2

(writer) Charles Soule
(artist) Joe Madureira
(colorist) Marte Gracia

So, the new era for Inhumans continues. The issue features the newly-Inhuman Dante beginning his training in handling his new abilities, a guest appearance by Captain America as he helps Inhuman Queen and leader Medusa recover tech from fallen Attilan that has fallen into Central Park, and a mysterious purple-faced stranger who visits Medusa and who may or may not have answers for her regarding her still-missing husband, Black Bolt.

Two issues in, and to my mind, Marvel really haven't justified this book's reason for being, apart from more eye-catching art from Joe Madureira who will, unfortunately, be gone after issue #3. The appearance by Captain America, while it receives some perfunctory justification from the script, feels like little more than an attempt to boost sales, which haven't been all that impressive for a book featuring art by a superstar like Joe Mad. And the new character who is supposedly getting launched by this series gets precious little to do other than yell a lot at the beginning of the issue, get punched in the face, and then get immersed in a tank of water while delivering a one-liner about the heavy metal band Slayer. Classic stuff...not.

The good news is that Joe Mad delivers yet again, and I was particularly intrigued by his take on classic Inhuman character Gorgon, who now appears to be cousins with the Minotaur, judging by his animal-like legs. Of course, the action sequence he illustrated kicks all kinds of butt, but again, not really in service of a greater story.

I began to wonder if I wasn't just getting sick of reading comic books, when I purchased two this week which I will review next and which, quite simply, were both amazing reads, and it then occurred to me the overall storytelling in this title, as in the last one I reviewed, simply isn't very good.

Since Marvel has failed yet again to make a case for this book as far as I'm concerned, as I said before: after Joe Mad is gone from this book, so am I.

5/10