Scarlett #2: Take On Me

Scarlett #2 picks up with Scarlett continuing her deep undercover mission which sees her trapped within a Clan Arashikage compound. Despite being seemingly captured, Scarlett has a secret plan up her sleeve, all with the goal of retrieving her best friend, Jinx, no matter how dangerous the circumstances are. All the while, the mysterious Storm Shadow senses something is wrong with Scarlett’s arrival, creating a possible hurdle that Scarlett may not have considered when she started this mission.

Scarlett has got to be one of the best looking action comics on the stands. Marco Ferrari takes on multiple pages with minimal dialogue, using only masterfully choreographed art to convey how proficient Scarlett is as a warrior. This art truly conveys Scarlett’s abilities in such a wonderful and concise manner, proving that the old “showing not telling” rule is tried and true and still holds up. Whereas Joshua Williamson’s Duke and Cobra Commander served as a reintroduction to their characters while showing why they are the leaders fans know them to be, Scarlett does a great job in showing how cool this character is, even for fans who are not familiar with her.

Scarlett #2 seems to constantly hint at a heel turn in the coming issues, with Jinx always being kept at arm’s length for the reader, which also puts the reader in Scarlett’s shoes. Scarlett constantly gets to see Jinx from a distance, but has thus far not been able to communicate with her outside of seemingly hidden messages. This is Kelly Thompson’s way of creating tension, and it really works. Jinx could end up being a genuine villain or the lost friend/hero that Scarlett is expecting, and regardless of what direction the series takes, it will be as much of a surprise to Scarlett as it is to the reader.

The other elements being set up in this series are Clan Arashikage and Storm Shadow’s roles in this universe. G.I Joe fans of any age will know that Snake Eyes cannot be far behind when Storm Shadow is the villain. There has to be some kind of setup for Snake Eyes here, which is definitely something that the folks behind the Energon Universe are going to introduce as an important moment. From an editorial standpoint, Kirkman and Abernathy have said on several occasions that the Energon Universe will never consist of more than four ongoing books. Well, with Williamson’s ongoing G.I Joe kicking off November, it makes complete sense for that fourth book to feature Snake Eyes in the forefront, and all of that can be setup here.