The story gets better

books:


	• Wasteland Book 2: Shades of God Antony Johnston Oni Press, 2007 - 136 pages average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
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The story gets better

(I write this assuming people have read the first volume)
In short, this volume continues right where the first left off with our village of Sunners captured and enslaved by the Newbeginners. We learn more about the different stories about what the Big Wet was and why it happened and how everyone may be connected somehow to A-Ree-Yass-I. We get a great, well-written chunk of back-story for Abi and Jacob as well as some interesting details about the psychotic Lord Founder Marcus. The story does a good job of elevating us from the personal level of the people of Providence to a greater, more epic story behind Michael and others that will be continued in the next volume (I hope!)

Overall, as I had predicted, the first volume of this series was simply the first chapter, the introduction to this world and characters, setting up the reader for the meat of the story to come in future installments. This second volume begins to reveal for certain who the key players are and starts unveiling their pasts and connections. There is more action, more intrigue, and the world and some of its cultures are fleshed out a bit more in this volume. This series continues to surprise me with its ability to avoid becoming trite or stereotypical, keeping its world and characters relatively fresh. Also, if it matters to readers, Abi (as a female character) remains a main character, which, as a female reader, I enjoy. We are also treated to a homosexual character, though while more of a minority than is realistic, is dealt with tastefully if a bit token-ish.

The art of the first volume bothered me in its lack of contrast, particularly in its frugal use of solid blacks. This volume is an improvement, using black a bit more, helping the panels to 'pop' a bit better.

If you even marginally enjoyed the first volume, I recommend picking up this second volume before deciding whether or not to continue or drop this series. I like this volume much better than the first, though obviously it is one continuous story and no volume can truly stand alone. The story is building nicely and I am intrigued with how everything is going to play out and will definetly be snatching up the third volume when it is released.

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The second sensational collection in Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten's sci-fi western epic arrives! Thrown in the slave compounds and with no "scavenger man" to help them, the Providence survivors are in more trouble than ever. Meanwhile, Michael and Abi find themselves arrested and sentenced to death, and the Sand-eaters plan a daring attack on New Begin!