Originally published on Patreon
After a first issue that spent some time setting up the scenario and introducing the characters to new readers, the second issue of Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead jumps straight into the action as Rock and his men head behind enemy lines to locate the source of the undead Nazi soldiers, and put an end to them.
The book begins in a way that feels very naturally Bruce Campbell (the writer of this story and star of the Evil Dead franchise) as we join a group of the Nazi undead in a bar, where they're busy drinking beer and having some fun. Though in their case having fun comes in the form of shooting each other in the torso so that when they drink beer comes pouring out of them. To each their own I guess. Its the perfect level of dark and comedy that Campbell has made a career out of, and it works really well in this book; especially as it's pretty serious for the rest of the issue.
Over the course of the issue Rock and his team sneak their way through enemy territory, finding the location of the secret warehouse where the zombies are being made. Along the way they get into a fight with some zombies on the back of a truck, which gives readers our first taste of the kind of violence the series is going to have. There's another confrontation towards the end of the issue that involves explosions and jumping out of burning buildings that feels bigger in scale, yet manages to keep a pretty tight focus on the human characters and their fight to survive.
As with the first issue, Rock himself seems to be the main character, though here at least some of the other members of the team are given a chance to do a few things, such as Four Eyes and Doze, and it finally starts to feel like there are some other characters involved. Like I said in my first issue review, if you're not used to these characters it might be harder to get everything out of this book and clearly know who everyone is, but it seems like Campbell knows that and is trying to slowly let the reader get to know the others there.
The artwork is, once again, where the book really stands out. It looks wonderful, and it's hard to imagine the story working as well as it does with a different style. The artwork really enhances the story, and gives it a creepy, otherworldly horror without it becoming gratuitous or disgusting. It doesn't look gross when Nazi's are getting their heads blown apart or being shot to pieces. It's not about visceral gore or shock value, and instead allows you to enjoy the story without feeling the need to put the book down.
This is my first real experience with these characters, and I'm so glad that it's this story with this creative team, as two issues in it's already a book I excitedly look forward to each month.
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