Marvel’s ‘The Stand’ arcs have thus far exceeded all expectations, following in the footsteps of the ever exciting ‘Dark Tower’ spin offs. It would seem that Stephen Kings’ stories, no matter how old, always seem to have relevance, and most importantly, the ability to chill you to the core. You’ll find the full review inside.

Stephen Kings’ ‘The Stand: Soul Survivors’, written by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa (“Sensational Spiderman”, “Angel Revelations”, and HBO’s “Big Love”) is the latest arc in the ongoing story of survival in a world ravaged by a deadly plague that is swiftly wiping out humanity.

The story of issue #2 finds us hot on the trail of a surviver named Larry Underwood once again as he makes his way across the countryside. Still haunted by the nightmares of The Dark Man and Rita, finds salvation in a small home in Maine. He finds that the dreams cease when he is there, and so he decides to roost awhile. Thankfully Sacasa doesn’t dwell too much on this period, instead transports us to Larry’s journey to the ocean. The peaceful moment is shattered almost instantly by a young boy named Joe who attacks Larry with a knife. The scuffle ends with Nadine, the boys mysterious yet beautiful guardian, talking the child down. Later on they are also joined by a young blonde woman named Lucy who also shares their reoccurring nightmares.

From then on we start to learn quite a bit more about the happenings in the world of ‘The Stand’, but like any 1 episode of ‘Lost’, we are given 1 answer and 52 new questions. The script for the issue is tight and compelling. Aguirre-Sacasa has done an outstanding job of capturing the feelings of despair and loneliness in a world God forgot. It is not easily forgotten that King himself has almost all creative control over his creations’ side stories. His touch is found in almost every bubble of dialogue, each character seeming to breathe the life of the beloved characters within his novels.

This is not to say that ‘The Stand: Soul Survivors’ doesn’t sputter a bit. the further we get into the story, the more questions we are given, and rarely are we handed answers. I do understand the importance of mystique, but if I wanted to feel annoyed and confused I’d watch Criss Angel.

Art wise Mike Perkins is as strong as ever, pushing us through the story with a steady hand. The vivid detail he contributes is one of the great draws of the series, and it never goes unnoticed just how well a job he does. The book ends with Nadine fainting oddly as the group are reading a note left by Harold and his group whom they are following. From the looks of it Nadine has some secrets of her own that just might tie her to Larry in a very personal way.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Skulls