Writers: Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig

Artist: Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder, Al Barrionuevo

Colors: Kelly Fitzpatrick

Cover Artist: David Williams

The wait is over as “The Shield”, from Dark Circle comics returns with this latest issue. After Victoria’s memories from her past resurface as “The Shield”, she looks to Detective Simmons for help. But her pursuers close in on the pair when they least expect it. Will the two survive this encounter?

Writers Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig did a decent job with this second issue of “The Shield”. This issue is dialog heavy at times, feels disjointed, and could turn some readers off. Since the last issue came out nearly four months ago, a little callback wouldn’t hurt. I had to find my old copy to catch up with the story. The pacing isn’t bad, and it feel like I’m reading a Jason Bourne movie with super powers. You also get the sense of how dangerous Agent Chase is, as he takes control of the search with tactical precision. We also learn about Simmons’s connection to the organization that is featured at the beginning of the issue. The writers could have given us information on why Agent Chase is after her, or even explain Victoria’s past; but  the two just end up going on a one hundred and fifty-mile journey. Yes, one hundred and fifty miles with no dialog along the way, until the end.

The art for issue two is divvied up, with the pair of Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder tackling pages one through twelve, while Al Barrionuevo takes care of pages thirteen to twenty-two. The art is good on both ends and the artists did a phenomenal job on the art. Characters look clearly defined and the transition between artists is seamless. You can see the minor changes (Simmons’s nose piercing is missing when transitioning between artists, for instance), but I don’t have any complaints about it. It took me going through the title a few times before I picked up on these. Kelly Fitzpatrick returns on colors and captures the tone of the series perfectly. Colors capture the night scenes – of which there are a lot.

If you have been keeping up with the “The Shield”, this issue is not a bad read. It does come with some drawbacks, such as having heavy dialog and being disjointed at times. Additionally, the writers could have given us something on Agent Chase or Victoria’s past or even more about the “Burning Hand”. On the plus side, the title has some interesting characters, colors, and great looking art. I hope the next issue can improve, but I still liked what they’re trying to do.

3 Shields out of 5