Misfit City #2 Review

Misfit City #2

Writer: Kristen Smith & Kurt Lustgarten
Illustrator: Naomi Franquiz
Letters: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Boom Box!

A review by Greg Brothers

When a series does such an excellent job of introducing a new concept, you worry that the second issue might be a letdown as the writers and the characters slip into their roles. Things such as pacing, lack of action, or even a time jump that leaves too many questions are all problems that a reader might find with a book. Fortunately Misfit City #2 avoids many of those pitfalls in its return.

Misfit City #2 picks up shortly after the end of issue one. The girls have taken the map that was found at the end of the first issue and are trying to unravel the mystery of the map and where it might lead them. Meanwhile, the family of the recently deceased captain continue their search for unknown treasures within his estate, and a new player in introduced to the game.

As I mentioned before, Misfit City #2 does a respectable job of avoiding the potential pitfalls of a second issue. Instead we get a nice combination of moving the plot forward while introducing more elements of each of the women’s personalities. Dot is a bit of a history and research nerd who is able to use her vast random knowledge to answer many of the other women’s questions about reading maps. The interaction between Dot and Mace is particularly fun as the by the book Dot versus the Freer Sprinted Mace create a few humorous panels. The introduction of the possible new foil works well to deepen the mystery of who knows about the supposed treasure. Although introduced and flushed out extensively in the first issue Misfit City #2 does little to expand on the movie that was shot in the fictional town.

Franquiz’s art continues to be grounded in a realistic feel, while Peer’s coloring sets the right mood for each of the panels. Peer’s coloring is especially prominent with the halls of the local research library as the use of shadows and more natural light fill the panels. While many times a letter gets overlooked in a book, Campbell’s lettering creates some unique looks as instead of just having lines drawn to create movements instead Campbell in several spots integrates the words into the movement.

Verdict:

Buy It! Misfit City #2 picks up right where the first issue left off not only in the storyline but also in the quality of the book. At no time did the story feel stagnant and instead several plot points are move forward and questions are answered while more are created. Misfit City #2 is a book that can be enjoyed with your kids, nieces and nephews. I for one look forward to seeing more of the mystery unwrapped.