Irredeemable, vol. 2, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause 8.0

I’m probably one of the few who would think that this second collected set of ‘Irredeemable’ is superior to the jaw-dropping first one, but, to me, it most certainly is.

I quite appreciate the fact that it’s less action-oriented and more character-driven. I love that we get to delve into the psyches of a few key characters and start to understand what motivates them.

And I’m rather relishing the revelations being made here: why The Plutonian has turned, how other characters relate, …etc. It’s all twisted, but in a way that’s credible and exciting – rarely does one see heroes and villains portrayed this way.

Thankfully, it’s not purely nihilistic; nothing is more dreadful than grimness just for the sake of being grim. This book can’t avoid the harsh reality of a demigod turned loose on a world he despises, but it doesn’t feel exploitative to me.

The artwork is still lacklustre, unfortunately. It captures the moments adequately, but it really doesn’t do anything to elevate the material – like, say, Alex Ross would. I know it’s an unfair comparison, but I’m just saying: good, but not great. And not awe-inspiring.

Strangely, despite my slight ambivalence after the first volume, I’m now quite keen to read the next one and find out where this is headed. There is a lot of potential in ‘Irredeemable’, and I dare to hope that it will deliver.