Fisk has allowed the Thunderbolts to become his police force, but he needs someone to keep him in line. Good thing U.S. Agent is looking for a job! Find out more in Devil’s Reign: Villains for Hire #2 by Marvel Comics!

DEVIL’S REIGN: VILLAINS FOR HIRE #2

Writer: Clay McLeod Chapman
Artist: Manuel Garcia and Lorenzo Ruggiero
Colorist: Photobunker’s Dono Sanchez-Almara and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Editor: Devin Lewis
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 23rd, 2022

Previously in Devil’s Reign: Wilson Fisk has taken the Purple Man’s power and outlawed superheroism. To enforce his rule, he has recruited the Thunderbolts, including Electro, Rhino, Scream, Whiplash, Crossbones, Taskmaster, and even Kraven! But they are out of control and are close to returning to their villainous ways. Luckily, John Walker wants to help Fisk keep everyone in line.

NO RISK WITH FISK

Villains for Hire #2 begins with John Walker convincing Fisk that he is fit to lead the Thunderbolts, to which Fisk agrees and hires him. The Thunderbolts stop a crime the next day, and Electro is tempted to pocket some diamonds. U.S. Agent shows up and quickly puts Electro down and proves that he is in charge. However, as he is walking home, it is revealed that he is a mole for the FBI to bring down Fisk and that he disagrees with Fisk’s policies. The next day, Fisk is hosting a rally, but someone in the crowd is corrupting the attendees. Walker is first to notice and jump into the group while telling his Thunderbolts to use nonlethal methods. However, Electro is suddenly touched by a purple person who forces Electro to use power. As the lightning fades, no bystander is hurt, but Electro seems to be down for the count.

THE AMERICAN DREAM

I must say that I’m continually impressed with the art of the Devil’s Reign event. All the characters seem very vivid on the page. From Rhino’s huge figure to U.S. Agent’s shield, there is a ton of eye candy to look at. On top of that, John Walker proves to be a solid protagonist. We understand his mindset and how Fisk is dangerous as mayor. While Walker isn’t the most relatable character, it is engaging to get his perspective on the situation. When you top that with Rhino’s hesitation to kill children in other Devil’s Reign comics, we could see a nice coup being set up by our illustrious villains.

I do have to say that I wasn’t very interested in the central conflict of this issue. It was incredible watching Walker keep the Thunderbolts in line. Still, I found my interest waning when they were navigating the crowd for this new villain. But that may just be my preference for this particular comic.

THE AMERICAN DREAM

I have been enjoying exploring less-popular characters recently. Marvel is putting out comics for Silk, Echo, and now U.S. Agent. Hopefully, we will continue to explore more secondary characters within the Devil’s Reign event. 4 out of 5 stars for Devil’s Reign: Villains for Hire #2.

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