Genius #2
Publisher: Top Cow
Writer(s): Adam Freeman & Marc Bernardin
Artist: Afua Richardson
Cover: Nelson Blake II
Bernardin and Freeman keep the momentum going from last issue as Destiny and her followers go toe to toe with the police in a violent firefight. Since the fight began the local news station is attempting to get the full story but are unable to safely get involved. However they do have some footage from various internet outlets and what is shown poses a problem to the local government. As they see that Destiny is winning the hearts and minds of the people in the midst of the violence. Unfortunately everything isn’t going according to plan on either side as Destiny’s people aren’t too happy with her actions either. It’s going to get ugly.
Going deeper into the world of Genius it’s becoming apparent that not too many of the characters are likeable. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as they are written well and at various points it is easy to empathize with their actions. Which seems to fit perfectly since the subject matter is one that splits a lot of people so it’s good to see that the characters also reflect that. As I stated about the first issue, there is plenty of grey area that both sides are operating in. The dirty cops are identified here which should make it easier for Destiny to just go after them instead of going up against the entire police force and ending the lives of some of the good cops as well. Though you have to admire the fact that Freeman and Bernardin aren’t making it that easy for Destiny or the reader as it’s a bit of a moral challenge here. They also continue to show how good of a tactician she is and it provides some of the best sequences in the issue. It would be nice to see a bit more competency from the police force because right now things are going a bit too easy for the home team here. With two more issues to go it would be nice to see that Destiny is challenged a little more by her enemy. Just to put that tactical mind of hers to the test and flesh her out a bit more.
Through all of the chaos and violence Afua Richardson moves you from panel to panel with her signature style. There’s still the unconventional panel layouts that give the story such great movement and the full use of every page you turn. The visuals do keep the pace moving rather quickly and there’s an emphasis on making the images leap off the page that really help it stand out.
This creative team has taken a controversial and sometimes polarizing subject matter and are making sure it’s worth reading. So in just two issues they have proven that Genius is yet another solid brick in the house of Top Cow!
Till next time!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
