Fort Psycho #2 Review

 

Fort Psycho #2 Review

Writer: Matt Kindt

Artist: Brian Hurtt

Colorist: Bill Crabtree

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: Brian Hurtt; Lewis LaRosa & Rico Renzi; Mike del Mundo; Joe Palmer

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

When the Seven Seals destroyed a sovereign nation, the United Nations responded with more than condemnation. They quietly raised an army to tackle the international terrorist organization. The Strategic Alliance Worldwide killed most of the Seven Seals’ operatives. SAW agents assassinated their leader, the Blue Bishop. Then, the United Nations rounded up Seven Seals and SAW agents with equal zeal and consigned them to separate prisons.

 

What struggles do the world’s former heroes endure? And how will Jason, the newest inmate, fare among his fellow “war criminals?” Let’s leap into Fort Psycho #2 and see!

 

Story

Jason evaded capture for a year. But when he let his disguise slip for a moment, the authorities captured him and sent him to Fort Cyclone. Once, it was SAW's base of operations. Now, it's an all-inclusive resort. Jason has his own house. Boxes from IKEA await his assembly. And thanks to the regular airdrops, the mercenaries can get most anything they want in the commissary. For Jason, that's a comic he used to read to his nephews. But the myths retold in Legendary Action Stories also shaped Jason's life.

 

In Fort Psycho #2, the United Nations wants to keep its highly skilled assets available in case they need their services again. While it's taken steps to hide them from public scrutiny, the authorities also provide all the amenities in case they need them again. But while most of his fellow inmates enjoy their retirement, the people who captured Jason gave him a mission. The suits believe Blue Bishop is hiding among SAW personnel at Fort Cyclone. And if Jason doesn't find and kill him, they'll kill his brother and nephews.

 

After reconnecting with some of his former comrades, Jason begins his hunt in Matt Kindt’s story. One of his fellow inmates mentioned a possible connection on the day he arrived. When Jason tries to follow up, some help. Others warn him off or try to divert him. And all the while, his fellow prisoners show Jason how enjoyable life in Fort Cyclone can be.

 

The Blue Bishop may be hiding among them. Or the authorities got it wrong. Regardless of what the suits told Jason, the mercenaries’ jailors don’t have to treat them so nicely. And like the suits’ threat to kill his family, the authorities could decide to stop sending them the antidote pills to the poison they injected everyone with in Fort Psycho #2.

 

Art

When his team reaches the rotunda at the heart of the concentric defensive walls, Jason pulls a statuette from a smoking domed enclosure. After evading the guards who patrol the grounds, Jason’s team races beneath those watching from atop the wall. Colored gas rises. Arrows fly. A comrade atop a roof provides cover fire with a machine gun. A mushroom cloud rises from elsewhere in the city as Jason and his team reach the hang gliders. Then, they soar on artificial wings toward their escape vehicle.

 

While Brian Hurtt fills Fort Psycho #2 with memorable characters, Bill Crabtree clothes them in vibrant colors. Yet like the bird statuette Jason secured for SAW, Zeus has traded his pink mohawk for pink-and-orange shades. The inmates wear gray, white, and pale shades of green and blue as they walk the lush grounds beneath a bright blue sky. Still, the vibrant blue pool area provides amusement and community as the mercenaries seek to enjoy their retirement.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with lowercase black letters, while Jason's recollections inhabit beige narrative boxes. Giant uppercase black letters fill deformed balloons as people pay the price for their leader's decisions. Orange machine gun fire and block letters herald cause and effect. Then, a red boom connects with the stripes of their leader, and the uniform of a soldier amid gray rubble. A two-page extract from Legendary Action Stories and character files close out this second issue. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While the people who defended the world against terrorism pay the price for their methods, the leader of the terrorists may lurk among them. Some of the former soldiers obey orders without question. Others have spent their lives deceiving comrades and foes alike. So, the jailers pick an idealist to investigate their suspicions. Amid his search for the truth, Jason studies the island's laccolithic butte and awaits opportunities to communicate with higher intelligences in Fort Psycho #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see Fort Psycho #2 Cover Preview.