Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Adam Gorham
Colorist: Kurt Michael Russell
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Designer: Tim Daniel
On Sale: 23rd June 2021
The return of yet another hot (pun intended) series from Vault Comics, Blue Flame #2.
PLOT AND STORY
The Blue Flame digs deeper into the Tribunal Consensus as he weighs the decision of defending all of humanity before them… but wait, shooting victim Sam Brausam is in a coma in Milwaukee, and his estranged sister doesn’t know if he’ll wake up.
This latest issue throws things into a whole new perspective for the series. Christopher Cantwell set up this series as a straight up sci-fi book but both issues now have shown this is far from your average space adventure. The events of this issue make me question the whole reality of the series. Making me ask questions about what is and isn’t real this early into a series is risky but one that so far is really paying off.
ARTWORK
The balance of scale in this book is outstanding as we see very grounded, ordinary people on earth living their ordinary lives but then you turn a page and are presented with the grandeur of space. These two mirroring stories, one on Earth and one in space keep the story flowing at a nice pace. The way in which Andy Gorham has drawn these advanced civilisations in space really pull you into the pages and contrast so well against the Earth settings.
Kurt Michael Russell adds the finishing spectacle to every page with his colours. I in particular like a page where the Blue Flame is being held in a cell and the use of red and blacks creates a more off worldly atmosphere. It’s also in the space scenes in which letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou stands out by subtle changes in the shape and style of the text balloons.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This series is giving me familiar vibes to one of my all time favourite comics Reborn by Mark Millar and Greg Capullo and that is enough to keep me hooked. This issue does a great job exploring what could be out there beyond the realms of space but it also makes you think about life, death and the beyond. Clever storytelling with some great illustrations makes Blue Flame a series not to be missed.
I read this via an advance preview copy issued by Vault comics and received no incentive to review this comic. All images and artwork are courtesy of Vault comics and their respective owners.
Caffeinated Critique 