A.D. After Death Book Two Review

A.D. After Death Book Two

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jeff Lemire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: Image

A review by Greg Brothers

For most of the world 2016 has been a rough year. In just the last two weeks we have lost several important people way to early. It is easy to imagine how great a world would be where death is no longer something that we have to deal with. The reality of it is that a world without death might not be what we would all hope for. Book Two of Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemires A.D. After Death starts to explore and explain the world without death a bit more, and how we got to this point.

A.D. After Death Book 2 continues to follow Jonah Cooke as he works to bring an end to the world that exists with no death. As the story moves forward, Snyder reveals more about Cooke’s life and past, leading up to the creation on this new world. More world building is done as we learn about the jobs that Cooke has had over the years and this intricate hacker/thief world that has been set up where people go to earn money by creating scenarios and solving those problems, sometimes in theory and sometimes to completion in the real world.

Snyder continues to bounce back and forth between the present time of the story, to recent past, to long ago past. This choice works well when it comes to showing how Cooke’s relationship with Errant has changed over the years, as they go from working together to becoming bitter enemies, as each of their visions for the future changes. During the world building we start to find out more about how life in this new world without death works. It is important that many of these parameters are set up and explored as it can help to both explain some actions while also creating tension between many of the characters. While many of the questions from book one are explored, more of solved all together. Snyder does a great job of either creating more questions for the reader or expanding on the depths of questions that were asked in Book One.

While Snyder’s writing  continues to impress in A.D. After Death Book Two, Lemire’s art is just as good if not better than Book One. Just as in Book One, the choice to do present day in a traditional comic panel format, while doing the past in a journal type entries with minimal art makes it very easy to determine where in the story the scene is taking place. The use of water colors continues to allow Lemire to create drawings and panels that are simply breathtaking at times.

The Verdict
Buy it! A.D. After Death Book Two continues to impress, with not only the story telling and the world building, but also that art that is inspired and breathtaking, to say the least. Snyder has paced the series so that you are not left to long for some of the smaller mysteries, while also building upon some of the bigger ones. By the end of Book Two we know exactly where both our would-be hero and his rival stand in their plans and goals, setting up the climax for Book Three perfectly. When you have a team of Snyder and Lemire working on a book together, there are certain expectations, and A.D. After Death Book Two delivers on every level on what are very high expectations.