Reviewed By Jorge Solis. An interesting follow-up, “EI8HT” #2 takes readers on a twisted journey into the scattered timeline. With an insanely clever premise and eye-catching visuals, the story continues at a fast pace and keeps building its sci-fi world. The top-notch artwork and snappy writing in the second installment of “EI8GHT” will make any reader a fan.
WRITTEN BY: Mike Johnson & Rafael Albuquerque
ART BY: Rafael Albuquerque
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 18th, 2015
In the snowy mountains, a killer from the future has been sent into the time-stream on a suicide mission. Desperate to save his loved ones, Joshua is under orders to assassinate his target, but the job won’t be any easy. Lost in an unfriendly environment, Joshua finds himself captured and with most of his memories gone. Will he put back together his scattered memories piece by piece in time? Or has his mission already failed?
My favorite part of the story is how writer Mike Johnson plays around with the nonlinear structure. Readers are asked to put the pieces of the puzzling story together, but it’s not told in a confusing manner. Because Joshua is an unreliable narrator, he is also answering the story’s own questions; we are figuring out what’s happening just as he is. In an emotional flashback, Johnson slows down the pace to develop Joshua and give him purpose.
Artist Rafael Albuquerque mixes elements from the past, present, and future, in a vibrant color palette. The plane crash in the opening pages is heart-pounding suspenseful as Albuquerque emphasizes the facial expressions in tight close-ups. The Meld is a mishmash of an apocalyptic future and prehistoric Ice Age. You get a sense of the environment but you’re never quite sure what the time period is.
“EI8HT” #2 is a must-read sci-fi mystery/thriller with phenomenal artwork. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next issue.