Written By: Josh Vann
Art By: Simone D’Armini
Published By: IDW
Hrolf’s adventure continues as he leads his wounded comrades on a path of honor and bad luck. I closed out issue #1 of The Spider King wondering where the story would take us and how these characters would develop, but this second issue ended up taking a very different approach to pacing.
The introductory book ran us through conflicts, deaths, introductions, and a hook that promises some fun viking-on-alien action. All fun things on paper, but ultimately it was presented in a messy and hap-hazardous way. This week’s issue has a much more reasonable pacing that gives readers an opportunity to pay attention to details and get acquainted with characters, which is appreciated.
What isn’t appreciated is how little progression we get with the plot promised in the first issue. Our barbaric heroes stumble upon a crashed alien vessel and claim the treasures inside, all manner of foreign and mysterious alien technology. There is some fun in watching these brutes play with weapons beyond their comprehension, but the joke is partially lost when the weapons are beyond the readers’ comprehension as well. Not everything is recognizable as a gun or sword, and it is a little confusing when you need to reread a few pages just to follow what the tone is supposed to be.
Another odd shortcoming is Sigrid, the warrior princess who ran away in the first issue (for reasons not fully explained). She continues her journey towards something for some reason and also stumbles upon a crashed alien vessel. There is some fun action and dialogue from the young lady but readers don’t have a lot of reason to root for her, just yet.
The art is still dark and messy, but I want to point out that it is maybe my favorite part of the book. There is a style to the story that keeps me turning pages, even if the situations aren’t as compelling to read.
Overall, I don’t know that I can recommend Spider King to anyone in a broad sense based only on these two issues. There is certainly an audience for vikings fighting aliens, myself included, but my patience is beginning to wane.
