“Invisible Republic” #2 proves to be just as strong as it’s opening chapter. The story advances at a brisk pace, with almost every scene giving a sense of forward motion. This comes as a nice counterpoint to the utter stagnation of the world they’re both on.
WRITTEN BY: Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Bechko
ART BY: Gabriel Hardman, Jordan Boyd
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: April 22, 2015
Opening with a gorgeous splash page, we’re viscerally thrown back to the past as alien crabs devourer dead soldiers down to the bone. Arthur swiftly takes care of everything and anything that could lead back to them. Methodical and practical he disposes of the bodies and helmet cams. He’s cold and calculating, maybe that’s what he needs to be to survive in their harsh world but it doesn’t instil confidence in his true motivations. How important is Maia to him really? Does he truly care for her or does he see her as something he can use to gain leverage? Traveling with a young, innocent looking woman makes him seem more unassuming than he really is, it could be just the advantage he needs to gain the upper hand in a tense situation.
Babb’s search for information into Arthur and Maia mirrors their own search for a free tomorrow, a future with promise. Babbs presses an outside source for more resources so he can give this story the justice he deeply believes it rightly deserves. In the past Arthur and Maia deal with a similar issue trying to get off planet and find work on Asan. Neither are offered anywhere near what they’d consider fair. It becomes clear that they’re all going to have to continue fighting tooth and nail for anything, but for freedom or a solid lead they’re going to have to go the distance.
Invisible Republic #2 is a deep and fascinating read. Every character is steeped in complexity, Arthur is obviously dubious but I wouldn’t overlook the other characters capacities for secrets and intrigue. We’re only two issues in and things are already twisting and turning, the future of this book is as bright as it’s world is bleak. If you miss Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Bechko on “Star Wars Legacy” then this offers a beautiful return to a different type of science fiction for the team. The deep legends, and the gorgeous visuals make Invisible Republic a new kind of space epic you just can’t miss.