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The Infinium #2
Publisher: Tango Unlimited
Writer: Rich Perez
Artist: Ron ONG
Cover: Ron ONG

“Chapter 2: Journey into Mystery”: If there’s one thing I enjoy about writing for ComicAttack.net, it’s the ability to take on a variety of comics, outside of your normal Marvel and DC fanfare. And The Infinium certainly isn’t your typical Marvel or DC style comic. I remember saying of The Infinium #1:

The styling of it, from Ron ONG’s drawing and computer coloring to Rich Perez’s old school styled writing, is very much an indie comic book. And by indie comic book, I don’t mean Dark Horse or Boom! indie. I mean indie indie. Maybe not strange, artsy, wtf alternative indie. There’s plenty of themes and styling the Marvel and DC fan can enjoy. But it definitely has some flairs of that alternative, underground, screw you we’re outside the system kind of indie. The kind of indie you can find at conventions that solely deal with comics.

And it still holds mostly true in The Infinium #2. However, now that Brian Villa has been transported off of Earth and onto Durdara, things have changed in both the story and the quality.

For one thing, the plot is different. In case you’re wondering what The Infinium #2 is all about, think Mortal Kombat in space (but far less violent); or if you want to talk comics, Secret Wars. Brian Villa winds up on a strange planet where gladiatorial battles take place for an object known as The Infinium. That simple. Anything else is over analyzing.

Although the plot is more action oriented and simpler, I feel that the writing has improved. Mainly because of one big improvement. Less tell, more show. Now, it certainly has its fair share of dialog observations, which can be debated as a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, such observations can take up precious panel space with trite observations instead of what else that could be said or shown. On the other hand, observations could add to the nostalgia value, as simple observations are made in every day life (e.g. “it’s the Good Year blimp!”). So it depends on how you like your writers. For me, the observations have their charms and their annoyances.

The art is similar to the first issue. It’s still very much an indie style, so take it or leave it. Ron ONG has a basic style with computer lettering and coloring (the backgrounds are at least computer generated; also, credits go to Rage Ledbetter for inking). However, what separates ONG from other “indie talents,” such as deviantART users and crudely made comics handed out for free at the conventions, is that ONG has a grasp on the fundamentals, such as proportion, depth, and angle. Which is a great thing, because in the hands of an artist who has the indie credo but lacks talent, the action scenes could have been a disaster.

As I said before, this is an indie indie comic, so if you’re looking for Jim Lee artwork with an epic event, look somewhere else. With that being said, though, this issue is much more accessible to the more reserved mainstream audience. If I said that the last issue was “as if you took the indie comics and silver age comics and put them in a blender,” then this issue is more like the eighties bronze age meets indie comics. Not just with the comics such as Secret Wars, but also eighties cartoons such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Again, this isn’t for everyone, this fits outside the mainstream. But if you’re curious about checking out this series, Infinium #2 might make for a good jumping point.

A reviewer’s copy was provided by the publisher.

If you would like to purchase a physical or digital copy of The Infinium #2, you can do so at http://www.tangounlimitedllc.com/store.html starting July 8th.

Andrew Hudson
ahudson@comicattack.net
@Hudsonian