Bug Wars: The Coming of the Wardoom #2: Gather the Soldiers

Slade is back in the yard, only this time he has some willing company. As the would-be Slaymer tries to make sense of his current situation, he and his companions quickly learn the dangers in the Yard expand far beyond the grass.

The diminutive world of Bug Wars opens up a bit more in this issue and a few interesting doors are now able to be walked through for the story. Chief among them are the secret of Raze, and the coming of the Squirrel King. Raze was initially seen as just another bug extermination company, but this issue and the last slow reveal that its actually much more than that. Raze seems to know about both Slade and the underlying world of the Mytes, once more it seems to completely wipe them off the map. The Squirrel King has yet to make his full appearance, but his threat still looms large over the Yard and its clear that big things are coming soon.

Jason Aaron uses this issue to set up what has been happening in the Yard as well as further give context to the dangers in the Woods and the “Ash Lands” (AKA the burning barrel behind the Slaymaker house). The rest of the “party” is somewhat expanded on here, but nothing too substantial. Doolie the Crow Cutter is a fun addition (that I hope sticks around) but Zsofi is still very much the “hot goth girl” and her younger brother also remains an enigma. The Raze agent gives more expansion into the company’s religious beliefs as well, because of course evangelicals are involved somehow.

Mamhmud Asrar’s light pencils are highlighted by heavy inks and Matt Wilson’s bright colors. The world of the Mytes has its own distinct look and feel where the most mundane things to humans take on their lives of their own in the world of the Mytes. Discarded boxes become sprawling cities and burning barrels become hellish towers of fire. The action is also fast-paced and bloody creating a few great scenes.