Imperium #2
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The good
Addresses impact of Harada's actions in a mature way. Gravedog is an interesting character. Exciting development at end of issue.
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The bad
World's collective response doesn't reflect Harada's progress
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The ugly
- Total score
Imperium #2 has Rising Spirit leading the charge against Toyo Harada as he continues his assault on the world seeking to establish his sovereign state. This is the case because earlier Harada sent a small force to the UN Security Council meeting with a stern message delivered by child psiots. They would state that the 5 permanent members of the security council are the biggest arms dealers in the world, and so it’s a conflict of interest for them because peace in the world means less arms sales. So they declare that they have to stop all weapons sales from super-powers to the conflict zones, and Harada and his forces will put an end to the wars there. But Rising Spirit has a different plan as they send a team led by Gravedog to Syria to deliver anti-psiot tech to defeat Harada. However, that’s all that’s delivered and Gravedog couldn’t care less about the cause the Syrians claim to be fighting for, and he shows this clearly. Rising Spirit has another plan to take out Harada, and Gravedog believes he’s the only one who can do it. But is Rising Spirit underestimating the influence of Harada’s cause?
Considering how easily Harada and his foundation has been able to go through all opposition I was wondering why none of the superhero teams or special forces were sent in to deal with them. Outside of that question, the first issue was an excellent start to the series. This issue addresses that immediately, well sort of, with Rising Spirit sending a team to handle the situation. At first it would just be to supply the Syrians fighting against Harada before eventually turning into a direct confrontation with the Foundation. But the strength of this issue would be the way it would show that Harada’s threat to the world was more than a physical one. And everything wasn’t so black and white as characters engage in meaningful, and entertaining, discussions regarding Harada’s goals. This is done through the use of psiot children addressing the U.N. Security Council and how its members sell the most arms by far in conflict zones but also by revealing there’s a spy within Rising Spirit aiding Harada. So the way this issue deals with that is very interesting.
However, the star of this issue isn’t Harada, who doesn’t make an appearance, but Gravedog, the leader of the Rising Spirit team. This issue mainly follows his exploits, and builds him up to be an intriguing character and fits perfectly in the context of this story. He walks the line in his role so well that the potential in this story increases greatly because there are no simple heroes and villains. So even though the story progresses a lot, there’s a development in this issue that blew my mind and I really can’t wait for the next issue. Of course I won’t give anything away but I truly appreciate the writing and the wonderfully mature story being crafted in the pages in this series.
SUMMARY
Imperium #2 is a prime example of why this series has been so engrossing as it combines great storytelling with perfectly timed action. The first issue showed Harada’s vision from the viewpoint of psiots while this issue deals with how his vision has influenced even nonpsiots. From the moment it addressed the impact of arms sales on children in conflict zones to the final page, this issue was riveting with its series of events. Gravedog is an exciting character operating in the gray area, and fits perfectly with the tone of this series. I can’t wait to see how the shocking turn of events at the end of this issue play out next issue. It’s just that good.
Release Date: 3/4/15
Writer: Joshua Dysart
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
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