Review: The Guards II

Review by David Ferguson

Art by Kevin Keane
Written by Shane Ormond
Letters and design by Alice Coleman

There is something to be said for consistency. That was my first thought on reading this issue (after having re-read issue one shortly before). Kevin Keane had a bit of a break between issues, having worked on a number of things including Neon Skies, but you wouldn’t notice it from the art. The characters have a consistent look and there is still the lovely balance between creating the realism of the everyday and the strangeness of the supernatural. Of course, Kevin Keane’s skills have improved but it is great that he was able to recapture the feel of the first issue. Shane Ormond is holding up his end of the deal as the story throws up some more interesting twist and turns with plenty of human drama mixed in with the supernatural. One of story points I enjoyed is the fact that only damaged people can see the supernatural, playing on the fact that people with mental health issues see the world a different way.

Kate O’Sullivan continues her work in the PRU battling monsters but she can’t fully escape her old world as her partner, Matt, as seen at the conclusion of issue one, has fallen in with her old enemy, crime lord Vincent O’Doherty. If issue one was about Kate’s fall from grace, issue two sees her partner falling in his own way. Matt’s story is told in a compelling and believable way and is, as I said before, an interesting contrast to Kate’s. What I am intrigued to see, after reading this issue, is how these worlds may collide in future issues. I really enjoyed issue one and this is an excellent follow up. If you missed issue one, it has been rereleased with a cool softcover just like the one for this issue. I think I mentioned it in the review of the first issue but I’ll say it again: I love the design of this issue and the new cover treatment really shows this so kudos to Alice Coleman for her design contributions. It adds to the overall quality of the book and this is a quality book.