Writer: Simon Birks
Artist & Colorist: Willi Roberts
Letterer: Lyndon White
Cover Artists: Willi Roberts; Rahsan Ekedal
Publisher: Image Comics (Top Cow)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 16, 2023
Engineer Hannah Curtis went to the Smith-Petersen base in Antarctica to pursue her career and find her long-lost father. Then an identical base appeared, along with her identical twin. Has she just entered the Twilight Zone? Let's dig into Antarctica #2 and find out!
Story
The first issue ended with her double's announcement, "We need to talk about Father." Hannah asks, "What did you say?" The woman says, "We need to talk about our father." While the subtle change invites speculation, her double pulls a gun. Hannah ignores the threat and reenters the base.
Her coworker Matteo called her a novice, but he's out of his depth in Antarctica #2. She grabs his hand and leads him to the locker room. They find Dr. Philip Campbell, who's beaten and bound Dr. Hirsch.
Interestingly, Campbell and Hirsch seem to understand what's going on. Hannah's not surprised. While it's the first we've heard it, her research into her father's disappearance suggested all kinds of supernatural mysteries on the southernmost continent. Can she withstand her counterpart's machinations and the final shocking revelation?
One word of caution: the paragraph on the inside front cover is loaded with spoilers and likely intended to grace the inside front cover of the next issue.
Art
Hannah and her colleagues wear protective red suits that sport purple visors but expose their mouths. Dr. Hirsch's high-cut red and purple jacket leaves only a black shirt protecting her midriff. Matteo and Philip Campbell use handguns; the opposition has rifles. The soldier wears a stylish black outfit with a balaclava and infrared visor. Hannah and Matteo peel down the upper half of their suits. They tie them at the waist, underlining that they’re infants to this Twilight Zone situation.
Hannah's face shows how life on the streets aged her, while her counterpart's looks smooth. Characters are drawn with precision and captured consistently throughout. Buildings and vehicles invoke realism, making it easy to follow the action as the tension increases and the stakes mount. A flashback in Antarctica #2 suggests her father’s profession. The bases show minor color variations. While the control room features the latest technology, the hallways, and the locker room look dirty, as yellow overhead lighting casts the gray walls green. When the action moves outside, the slightly blurred snow tells us how fast it's falling.
Hannah's thoughts appear in colored narrative boxes, but less than in issue #1. White dialogue balloons fill panels as conversations—and interpersonal drama—become the norm. The appealing lowercase text is darker in Antarctica #2, while inflection makes words bold. Sound effects amplify emotions and battles.
Final Thoughts
The action comes thick and fast in Antarctica #2, as her sophisticated doppelganger threatens Hannah and her coworkers. The ending of this parallel world story leaves readers fearing for their own.
Rating 9.6/10
See another cover on my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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