The Good
In the first issue, we saw a few of the captives manage to escape with the help of Caitlin Fairchild. We're down to four now and that number could be getting smaller. With this new title, it could have been easy to simply use existing characters to round out the cast. We have Fairchild and they were being pursued by Rose Wilson and Warblade but those two aren't featured as much here. Beast Boy and Terra took off on their own last issue so we're left with some new characters to get to know. I mentioned with the first issue that one of the benefit of having new characters is they can be disposable. We could easily see any of them die since there isn't a lot of attachments among readers. While I would like to have seen more familiar faces, getting to know the new characters adds a mystery element to the book and the fact that they could become casualties keeps you guessing.
A thought running through my mind in the first few pages was if these kids are on the run, you would think they'd want to find a way to get out of their suits. I wasn't sure why they would want to keep them on since they make them stand out and would be reminders to the pain and suffering they endured. But then there is an explanation as to why their still wearing them. It adds a nice twist that help further the story along.
I'm still not completely sold on the cast but I did find my appreciation for Ridge increase here. There is also a new adversary to take over the chase. A concern I had last issue is the fact that we're still pretty much seeing the same 'bad guy' chasing after them. But again, it adds that unknown factor the issue.
Ian Churchill's art captures the feel and vibe for the story. The characters we know look familiar but also have a slightly different look to remind us that this is part of the "New 52." These aren't necessarily the characters that we knew before. Getting to discover who they are now is part of the fun.
The Bad
The isolated feel of this book among other DC titles is a little jarring but it does help to make the "New 52" Universe have a bigger feel. It might be nit-picking but the fact they the group escaped on an iceberg is a bit of a stretch. As the water rages around them, I couldn't help but wonder how the heck they were holding on.
I'm still not really a fan of the suits they're wearing. IF they can put aside their differences and become a team, I'm not sure what kind of look I'd want for them. The suits just are so conspicuous and that's the last thing they'd want if they're on the run. But the suits do play a part in the story here so perhaps this will be addressed very soon.
The Verdict
We have a team book without really having a team. Normally I would think that this would be more bothersome but I like the fact that it adds an element of mystery to the story. We don't know who will stay or go or even who will survive. The struggle Fairchild faces in trying to keep everyone together and safe makes the story more credible versus if everyone was willing to hold hands and run off together. Howard Mackie pretty much has a clean slate to do as he pleases with these characters and that idea is becoming more and more exciting. Ian Churchill adds his own touch to making the characters distinctive along with the familiar characters having slight updates. Hopefully their nemesis will vary and we won't see more of the same characters after them.