Theresa has entered a place she was not expecting and the person waiting for her has a story to tell that she may not be ready to hear.  Your Major Spoilers review of Minor Arcana #2 from BOOM! Studios awaits!

MINOR ARCANA #2

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Jeff Lemire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Editors: Eric Harburn and Matt Gagnon
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 9th, 2024

Previously in Minor Arcana: Theresa is the daughter of a small-town fake psychic, who has returned home to take care of her.  The return has also brought out a lot of pent-up emotions that have been festering for a while.  Also, she has discovered that there is something magic out there, that may just be real.

MEET GENE

Minor Arcana #2 starts with Theresa in a strange dream-like building, except she quickly realizes that it’s far more real than a dream.  She moves through the building, taking an elevator up.  There, she finds a door with a strange symbol, while another door behind her opens.  She goes through the open door and finds herself now at a campsite with a man named Gene waiting there.  He explains that he had created the place in order to wait for his love, Jeanie, to eventually join him.  He tells Theresa how he died and how he and Jeanie got together.  Something then startles Gene and Theresa flees the place.  Back in the real world, Theresa suddenly blows up on Jeanie, and when her mother confronts her, she leaves for the bar.

A HEAVY DOSE OF BLUE-COLLAR STRIFE

Jeff Lemire has shown time and time again that he has a knack for capturing both the turmoil and small joyous moments of small-town, blue-collar living.  Minor Arcana #2 is another example of his ability to do this.  While the mystical mystery of the series is very present, it takes more of a backseat here as Theresa gets a chance to learn the story of a humble lineman who found himself married to the prettiest girl in town.  It’s a relatively small moment, but it packs a punch while not indulging itself with melodrama.  The same cannot be said when Theresa and her mother start arguing.  Here, Lemire lays it on pretty thick, and without that subtly of the earlier scenes, it quickly becomes soap opera-like.  In this moment, Theresa goes from being a flawed character to being just unlikable.  As for the plot itself, there’s not much movement in this issue, although a couple of key moments do help to add layers to what’s going on in an enticing way.

CAPTURING TIREDNESS

Looking at Minor Arcana #2, there’s no doubt it’s a Jeff Lemire book.  Using his trademark limited watercolor palette and characters who look like they’ve only heard rumors of what sleep is, this book doesn’t differ much at all from Jeff’s past works.  It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it works here brilliantly.  The choice to not make a big deviation in the art between the dreamlike world and the real world helps keep this story in the magical realism side of things while not going full-blown fantasy, which is a good place for this story.

BOTTOM LINE:  UNEVEN AT TIMES, BUT STILL A GOOD ISSUE

Minor Arcana #2 somehow makes the story of a dead electric company worker the most memorable part of a comic book that has also revealed that the main character can talk to the dead.  This continued focus on the human element of the story, with the magical side of things coming off as mundane happenstances, gives this issue a fascinating tone.  There are some moments when things dip a bit too far into the melodrama, which has a negative impact on the main character’s strength as a character.  This still remains a solid read, though.  4 out of 5 stars.

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Minor Arcana #2

9.0 Shout Out To Gene

Minor Arcana #2 is another solid entry in Jeff Lemire’s latest creator-owned tale of small-town psychics and broken families. It can get over the top in some moments, but still manages to set a tone for the series that is unique and fresh.

• Writing 7
• Art 10
• Coloring 10
• User Ratings (0 Votes) 0