Karl Volf is kidnapped at the beginning of Sundowners #2 and his fellow support group members are forced to try and rescue him.
SUNDOWNERS #2
Writer: Tim Seely
Artist: Jim Terry
Colourist: Sean Dove
Letterer: Crank!
Editor: Daniel Chabon
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
MORE MYSTERY PLEASE
Sundowners #2 opens with an assault. Juan Reyes – Mr. Outsider – watches the event play out with a narrative overlap very similar to Watchmen that readers have seen in many comic books before. He could have prevented the assault, rather leaves Citizen Joe, Crowlita and Arcanika to flounder. Mr. Outsider roundly lectures the trio and, then sets out on his own, determined in his hubris to be the one to recue Karl Volf.
The three members of the Sundowners support group head into town and track down Dr. Shrejic – their group therapist. Dr. Shrejic is not all that he was cracked up to be in his capacity as de facto leader of the support group. He offers no support to his patients to the point of trying to have them arrested less than halfway through Sundowners #2.
The issue continues along, focusing on Crowlita, Citizen Joe and, then Arcanika as Mr. Outsider follows them through the city. Each support group member is accused of a sin and dismissed as a result. Until readers touch base with Citizen Joe, the issue is quite slow. Writer Tim Seely has had many breakneck paced issues over on Revival, but Sundowners #2 only picks up when Joe goes and speaks with Graham Cherry – a radio host and the first person to dawn the Citizen mask. When Graham hears that all of these events are tied to Dr. Shrejic he is surprised to find the man still working after a mysterious event in his past.
The reveal that Dr. Shrejic – the moral compass of every character present in Sundowners #2 – as being less than trustworthy is the most interesting thing Seely has penned all issue. I can’t help but wish that the reveal of this mystery had been the focal point of Sundowners #2. Very little is revealed beyond the fact that there is a scandal in Dr. Shrejic’s past and perhaps Seely is saving that information for an upcoming issue, but the rest of the pages feel like filler compared to that revelation.
In the final pages of Sundowners #2 Mr. Outsider penetrates the facility that Karl Volf is being held at, the person behind the kidnapping is revealed and one of the characters present won’t live to see the next issue.
It’s all fine and Tim Seely does a good job with the unique voices of the characters, but Sundowners #2 doesn’t really live up to Sundowners #1. It feels like an issue of stalling in order to parcel out revelations further down the line.
ART’S ALRIGHT
Much like Sundowners #2’s narrative, Jim Terry’s art is alright. It feels a little date to me, something I should have seen around the late 80s, early 90s. The characters look fine, but none of their designs really stand out.
The colour palate by Sean Dove is washed out with the suggestion of gravitas and although I’m not in love with it, I feel that this design aspect is the most clearly executed of Sundowners #2. Readers are given a sense of being washed up, being hopeless, being tired – all these things that the heroes and heroines are feeling throughout Sundowners #2.
The art of Sundowners #2 is fine. It gets the job done, though sadly, there are no real moments where incredible images stand out.
THE BOTTOM LINE: YOU COULD STAND TO SKIP IT
Tim Seely has a lot of indie cred to throw behind any project he participates in, but I’m not certain that Sundowners #2 is the issue you want to pick up, especially at $3.50.
