Written by: Nick Spencer
Art by: Ramon Rosanas
Publisher: Marvel
I really loved the first issue of Ant-Man, it was a breath of fresh air and one of the strongest debuts from Marvel in recent memory. Despite this, I was a little worried about the second issue and wondered if it’d be able to carry the fun and unique tone from the first issue without it feeling repetitive or phoned in. When the comic opened with our hero being attacked by a man in a giant bear costume my fears were put aside and I knew I’d found a comic that understands me.
Last issue, it was the indie aesthetic that really impressed me, evoking memories of books like Hawkeye and Spencer’s own Superior Foes of Spider-Man. This issue however carries a zanier superhero style similar to Waid’s Daredevil. It’s not a complete 180 degree turn, the daily struggle stuff is still there as a large part of the story of this issue involves Scott trying to apply for a bank loan, but it’s balanced with fighting a Nazi robot that turns things into gold. It’s something that may seem jarring the way I put it, but within the story it makes perfect sense and just shows how much crazy imagination and joy is capable in the series.
The more superhero focused stuff this issue allows us to take a look at the art and writing from a different angle than last time. The art calls for a much more action packed and explosive quality, thankfully Rosanas delivers this in spades. Everything looks greatly fluid and kinetic, with Ant-Man’s powers being used really well within the sequences and the transformation looking simply but effective so as the keep the pace up. The humour too has a lot more of an almost Spider-Man quip feel, with one liners and the like. Some of you are probably groaning now, but I assure you these quips are actually pretty funny and made me audibly laugh rather than just snort air out of my nose. For those of you still unsure though, the meta jokes and self-doubt from Scott are still present and just as funny as last issue. The humour in this issue is top notch and sure to leave a smile on your face.
Of course, what remains to me the best part of the series is Spencer’s portrayal of Scott Lang, who remains immensely likeable and easy to root for. It’s this issue that we really see that his heart is in the right place and that he really is a hero. I don’t want to spoil things, but he’s presented with some pretty tempting situations that test his moral fibres. While I was pretty surprised by his actions, I again found it to be heart-warming and made Scott a character I really can’t hate. It’s nice to have a superhero who really wants to be a hero and tries his best to be good, especially in such a cynical age. Just two issues in, with almost no previous exposure, and Scott Lang is already one of my favourite Marvel characters. Spencer has just that good a grasp on the character.
By the end of this issue, we’ve made some pretty good developments in terms of the plot and added some interesting new supporting characters to the mix. It’s fantastic to see this series maintain its sense of fun and charm from the first issue while not simply repeating the formula and plot and instead choosing to add some new elements. It makes me really excited to see where Spencer and Rosanas take the book next, if you missed the first issue then I really encourage you to jump in here. It’s fun, fresh and definitely worth your time.
