Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Hell Yeah #2Hell Yeah #2
Image Comics
Keatinge & Szymanowicz

The second issue of Hell Yeah dives very deeply into the plot and really splits this book off from the general setup of the characters in the first issue. For the most part, this book actually completely separates it from the real-world-people-with-super-powers kind of book and sets off in a very science fiction-y direction. Overall, I liked the book and I think the reveal at the end, while not completely out of the blue, is intriguing enough for me to stick with the book long term.

The central character, Ben, finds himself mixed up with three girls (who may or may not be aliens) along with his regular female friend just after the trio blows up his school. The book then departs from the traditional storytelling style which I found to be a bit jarring but after a quick re-read I was grounded in what Keatinge is trying to do.

This comic book is heavy into science fiction, so much, that this issue has multiple realities. This is where the flow was off for me on the first read through. You have parallel stories taking place. The main story is taking place in the reality where the school is blown up and where the "real" Ben exists. The alternating story is that of the girls' reality, in which things don't end too well. The hows and whys of the girls making it to Ben's reality are not mapped out here but at least we understand the motivation behind their statement that Bens from other realities are dead or dying.

I'm glad this book isn't solely about the last generation of super heroes or regular people that get powers. I feel like those stories have been told too many times recently. This concept of multiple universes and characters crossing between them to kill off instances of a single being is fairly fresh (Infinite Vacations comes to mind) still and has a lot of room for growth in my opinion.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsSzymanowicz has completely reinvented himself from his work in Elephantmen. He's presenting a story that is supposed to look "real" but still deliver storytelling components like ray guns and space oddities. He brings all of that, but still adds the subtle character touches that help keep these characters looking real with living emotions. His pencils actually do make the mom appear cold and indifferent just as she is described. There isn't a ton of action, but there are some gory parts and Szymanowicz brings a high level of detail in those instances. I definitely enjoyed the visual aspect of the comic book.

Hell Yeah is still setting up the story. This issue adds more mystery but also provides a couple of plot threads to follow. I'm not sure if this book is going to end up more science fiction or super hero or mystery when it's all said and done. Whatever the outcome, I like the developing story here and I think the characters are interesting enough to keep me coming back for more. I recommend checking this out.

3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles