Slam! The Next Jam #2
Writer: Pamela Ribon
Illustrator: Marina Julia
Colorist: Brittany Peer
Letterist: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Boom! Box
A Review by Greg Brothers
A year ago, if someone would have said to me that a comic book about roller derby would be the first book I read when it came out, I would have been skeptical–to say the least. But here we are in October of 2017, and that is exactly where I find myself. Since issue one of the first volume of Slam! I have been hooked.
Slam! The Next Jam #2 starts with a new group of Freshies practicing. While the practice is taking place in the rink, The Pushy Riots are voting to decide the fate of Knockout. Just outside the room, the Meteorfights (eagerly waiting for the results) are discussing the latest advertisement before a little R&R.
Slam! The Next Jam #2 feels like it is one of those issues that ties up a couple of loose ends while getting ready for the next step. With the fresh meat meet it gives the chance for some new characters and conflicts to be introduced. While waiting for the results from the meeting about Knockout, there is a discussion among the Meteorfights about using sexuality to sell roller derby. It will be interesting to see if Ribon carries this question further in future issues. I personally think that it could lead to places that this book has not gone yet.
The writing has always had the perfect mix of comedy and gravity. The pool party and the scar runway show is especially humorous. The brilliance of Ribon’s writing is that while the show is going on, CanCan is having a meaningful conversation that moves the story forward.
When a series switches artist it can sometimes be jarring and take a while to get used to. It is something that I am still trying to wrap my head around with Slam! The Next Jam #2. The art is not bad at all. It is still bright and colorful. The lines are sharp and well-defined. My biggest issue is some of the character designs. While they all come in different shapes and sizes, there are several that look too similar in my opinion. I often had to stop and reread parts to figure out who was saying what. It is something that is easily fixed and hopefully Julia can will work on it as she gets to know these characters better.
Verdict: Buy it!
As I said in the introduction, Slam! The Next Jam is one of the books that goes to the top of my to-read pile every month. Issue two does nothing to change that. The character development and the twists keep me wanting more of this story.
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