I really enjoyed the first issue of S.W.O.R.D. and thought that it was a good introduction to both this new team, and the new book, but was a little worried when I opened up issue two and saw that this was tying into the current King In Black event that's going on at the moment. I've not been reading this event, though am vaguely aware of what it's about, and as such wasn't really looking forward to this new series being disrupted in its second issue by having to be a part of this event I'm not reading.
However, whilst the events of this book do pertain to the event, it still manages to stand on its own and feel like a continuation of the first issue. It acknowledges the events that are going on in King In Black, but doesn't require you to have read any of it to enjoy this issue. This is how a lot more of these event tie ins should be written.
The issue begins with a page showing that New York City has been covered in a dome made of darkness, and a mysterious figure on a rooftop. This very quickly sets the stage for what's going on in the world for those who've not been reading the event, and gives you a small taste of the kind of stakes in play.
The rest of the issue focuses on the staff of S.W.O.R.D. and how they're reacting to the attack on Earth. We chiefly follow the leader of the group, Abigail Brand, as she moves through he station giving her orders and getting her team up on the plans she's going to put into motion. This not only gives readers a taste of what to expect, but is a nice little reminder of the various departments on the Peak, and what they're expected to do.
This issue also gives Fabian Cortez and Mentallo a lot more to do than in the first issue, and seems to be beginning to set up some interesting relationship dynamics, showing that whilst this is an organisation where people are sharing the same goals it doesn't mean that they all get along with each other, or even that they all trust each other.
The latter half of the issue sees S.W.O.R.D. assisting with the defence of Krakoa, and it was nice to see some of the team coming off the station. I know it's only the second issue, but with everything in the series being set on the Peak so far it showed just how important getting away from the station for a while is to the flow of the series, not least because it allows some of the characters to actually cut loose with their powers and get involved in the action. We see this displayed the most with Cortez, who is able to power up Sunfire, allowing him to get back into the fight after being badly injured. This also leads to a moment where Cortez is able to gain the attention of Magneto, and we see the old Cortez coming through for a moment as he begins to try weaselling his way into Eric's good graces.
I was expecting the issue to be almost unreadable, as someone who has no real idea of what's happening in King in Black, that the action would be the reader and the S.W.O.R.D. team thrown in at the deep end midway through a story that you'd need a dozen other comics to be able to know what's going on. Instead, it's a pretty self contained story, one that makes the cast of characters the focus, rather than the event as a whole. It managed to feel like a logical next step from the first issue, and not something that's gotten lost in a big event series.
I'm looking forward to seeing what some of the things set up in this issue become, as well as seeing what happens next from that pretty cool cliffhanger moment on the final page.
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