The powers that be are arming up and things start to get very deadly as World War 3 rapidly approaches.  Your Major Spoilers review of 20th Century Men #2, awaits!

20TH CENTURY MEN #2

Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Stipan Morian
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 21st, 2022

Previously in 20th Century Men: After President Goode’s shocking decision, the world has gone to war. Soviet and American forces clash all across Afghanistan as the Iron Star searches for his stolen heart.

ENTER, THE PRESS

20th Century Men #2 opens with Comrade Platonov arriving at a British intelligence hub in Afghanistan where he meets The Lion, a super-human running covert operations in the area.  Platonov tries to enlist him in his search for what was stolen from him.  The Lion claims he can’t help and the two come to blows.  Things then cut to the introduction of Krylov, a reporter from Moscow doing a feature on the war efforts in Afghanistan.  Things then follow him as he witnesses various scenes from the war and tries to secure an interview with Platonov.  Intercut with these events are small narratives focusing on a scientist from the US reminiscing about his involvement with Vietnam.

A DOUR, STATIONARY ISSUE

To say that 20th Century Men #2 is on the more depressing side of things, would be an understatement.  From the various scenes of war witnessed via Krylov, to the philosophizing about the scientific horrors committed in the name of a victory in Vietnam that never came,  the main themes of this issue seem to be misery for patriotism’s sake, and cynicism.  While the writing is well done and has a real literary feel, the lack of variety and potency in the tone makes the reading of this issue somewhat of a chore.  There’s also a lack of connective tissue here, which means that this book comes off more as a series of disconnected vignettes that just don’t come together into something greater.  On the flipside, this second issue continues to take an old trope of “what would the world actually look like with superheroes” and add a fresh spin to it by tying it to a deep meditation on the nature of war in the modern era, which is still enough to warrant a look.

COULD BE A MOVIE STORYBOARD

Stipan Morian’s work in 20th Century Men #2 is wonderful on many levels.  While the illustrations themselves are great to look at, what was most striking was the composition of the panels.  Some of the pages play out like scenes from Apocalypse Now: Tragic, brutal, cinematic, slightly surreal, with just a hint of absurdity, which is exactly what a story like this needs.

BOTTOM LINE:  CONTINUES TO PROGRESS BY INCHES

20th Century Men #2 continues to be a well-written comic book that hits hard and doesn’t try to hide the darkness of its subject matter.  This issue though seems to linger a bit too long in its own narrative, preferring to be a meditation rather than a chapter that moves things forward. 3.5 out of 5

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