I love following comics from the #1 issue and continuing to see them grow up.  I find the “one-off” reviews that I’ve done tend to be more unsatisfying than following along with the creators, seeing them take chances, and develop the story, the world, the characters, and ultimately the art.  So, I was happy to pick up Schismatic #2 after reviewing Schismatic #1.

The problem with reviewing #2s (and #3s and so forth) is that good creators (like Rachel Briner and Andrew Adams) tend to be consistent in what they’re good at, making me jump up and down and point at issue #1’s review and saying, “Ditto.”

I loved issue #1.  As for issue #2?  Ditto.

The art continues to be compelling, and the story is simply pulling me in deeper as good stories often do.  The characters (There are more!) tend to be interesting, if not down-right funny.  We get a glimpse into how the cataclysm that rocked this world took place, and we hear a little bit more about the religion.  I guess what I’m saying is they do a nice job of continuing an interesting (and very cool) story.  If you read #1, you’ll read #2.  If you haven’t read either, I recommend picking them up.

That’s a crappy review.  Ditto.  Lazy, right?  So, here is a little more.

Rachel Briner and Andrew Adams have interjected a playful tone into #2, with the introduction of a swashbuckling (and drunk) adventurer who has escaped from a government facility that our good guys want to break into.  It introduces a rebel group which is awfully foreign (as in, alien to me), but also has very funny dialogue.  The main difference between #1 and #2 is that #2 is more comfortable.  The artists/authors feel more confident that you want to be there and are taking (good) chances with the story, where in #1 I think they might have been much more focused on setting the hook (which, frankly, they did).  In short, #2 is actually better than #1.  And, I really liked #1.  Check it out.

Not much more to say . . . except this. This is the link to Schismatic’s original funding page.  If you like the comics as much as I do, keep an eye on Kickstarter and keep an eye on Andrew Adams (and Rachel Briner). Additional funding for other projects or even an expansion of Schismatic could always happen.