Synopsis (SPOILER ALERT!):
Jake and Hawkins enter a refugee camp at the border of Texas and Mexico
intent on passing into the Allied States of America. They know that if
they go through the normal channels it will take a week or more and they
can’t risk waiting that long because they could be recognized since
there are posters all around proclaiming them as terrorists. They
befriend a Native American boy who puts them in contact with a man who
can produce forged paperwork for them. This man recognizes Hawkins
because he has been monitoring all of the recent activity and notices
from the authorities. He agrees to help, even though Hawkins has nothing
to trade for his services, because the man's wife and kids live back east and
he does not want them involved in the impending war. He gives Hawkins
the papers hoping that he and Jake can help avert the looming conflict.
Unfortunately for Hawkins, Jake and the boy become involved in a bar
brawl which brings the attention of the authorities in their direction.
They head to the bus leaving the camp hoping they can still slip on, but
find it too closely watched. They still manage to escape from the camp,
though, by sneaking underneath the bus and holding on as it drives out.
And even though they managed to get into New Mexico, news of their
movements makes its way it to Thomas Valente in the ASA.Meanwhile, in Jericho Major Beck and his co-plotters are monitoring the other ASA military divisions stationed in Kansas and weighing their options for convincing them to withdraw their support from President Tomarchio. A Major Patrella of the ASA is arriving in Jericho that day and he is highly respected in the new country’s military. Beck believes that if they can convince him to stand with them, then many of the other divisions would follow. Patrella comes to Jericho to see what methods Beck used to quell the resistance in that town. He interviews several of the locals and also asks if they know the whereabouts of Hawkins and Jake. During his interviews, Patrella talks with Dale Turner and asks how he has managed to keep his supplies coming into the store; a conversation which makes Dale feel threatened. During all of this, Stanley and Mimi also find out that she is pregnant. As Patrella’s interviews continue, Beck decides it is time to show him the evidence of the conspiracy that caused the nuclear attack. He has Patrella called away to his office where he shows him the information about the original plot. Patrella then decides to leave Jericho but tells Beck that he will think long and hard about what he has seen. On the outskirts of town, Patrella’s vehicle is stopped by a truck blocking the road and he is shot dead. We then find that it was Dale who had him killed.
Comments: Issue #2 continues from the setup established in the inaugural issue of the series and packs in a lot of story across its 22 pages. Hawkins and Jake are still on the run and Jake is still attracting trouble wherever he goes. Meanwhile the people of Jericho are still plotting against the ASA in the hopes that they can convince the military operations in that area to stand down from using violence. This issue really had the feel of an episode from the series and delivered a more satisfying story than the first issue which seemed to pass through its 22 pages too quickly. However, that issue was necessary for setting up what would follow in the current issue and beyond. This issue also flowed better as the writers appear to be getting more comfortable with the comic book format. I enjoyed this installment (though I found the escape method Hawkins and Jake used a bit far-fetched) and have high hopes that the series will manage to maintain its level of quality.
No comments:
Post a Comment