Skinbreaker #2: Change Your Ways

Throughout history, all revolutionaries have been met with some form of resistance. Often from a tyrannical or arrogant force whose main and sometimes only recourse is violence. The world of Skinbreaker is no different. Our protagonist, Anok, doesn’t see weakness itself as incompetence, unlike his main rival for the title of chieftain. Instead, Anok sees his aging father as wise and just, whereas his competitor only sees an inability to maim and destroy.

There is a subtle but palpable connection between our world and Skinbreaker’s. We’ve all met a Thul in our own lives, a bully who, if given the power they so desperately crave, would lead us towards collective ruin. And many of us have likely imagined ourselves to be Anok, the one who sees things not for what they are or have been, but for what they could be. It’s this command of theme and character personalities, as well as his ability to play them against each other and against the very setting itself, that has made Robert Kirkman so famous in the comics industry as a master storyteller and world builder.

David Finch’s art continues to be full of depth and artistic glory, aided in part by Annalisa Leoni’s immaculate command of color and shading. However, issue #2’s focus on character action, while still good, was not quite as visually appealing as the expansive alien environments in the previous issue. That said, there were 2 particular two-page spreads towards the end of the issue that I found incredible, as we see the physical passing of time and how it affects our characters both physically and mentally.

By the end of issue #2 itself, I found myself saying, “Wait… it’s over?” and immediately wanting more. Not that this month’s issue lacked any necessary material, but simply because I was enthralled in the development of Robert Kirkman’s story, and in my book that is always a good sign.