Barstow #2 is written by David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry and published by Dark Horse Comics. Artwork is by Tyler Jenkins and letters by Justin Birch.
Barstow #2 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Agent Miranda Diaz has been in Barstow for only a few hours and already she’s knee deep in you-know-what. A local named Eli is possessed—or, well, half- possessed—by a demon. And there’s some wheeling and dealing going on between a ballet instructor/kingpin named Pria and a biker gang called the Hail Satans. Which just begs the question—what the HELL is going on in Barstow?
Review
After a compelling and rather strange first issue, Rebekah and David Ian McKendry look to continue their descent into madness with this newest instalment of Barstow. Will things start to make sense or will everything just get even weirder and more hellish?
We start this second issue with a flashback of two men in a diner. It’s a rather chaotic opening but it works so well when matched with the brilliant comedic timing on display. The juxtaposition between Graham freaking out and getting kidnapped in the car park whilst his friend Matthew nonchalantly orders food somehow gets funnier with each passing panel. It’s an instantly engaging way to start things off and it perfectly builds on the style of comedy established in issue one right out of the gate.
This hilarious cold open is brought to an end as we transition to the present where we witness the demonic possession of Eli. This immediately snaps us back to the main narrative and again sprinkles in some well executed humour in the process. Meanwhile, Agent Diaz looks to be making her way through an otherworldly plain of existence that really brings out Tyler Jenkins’ artwork in surreal fashion.
However, the issue really comes into its own in the second half where we’re introduced the Hail Satans biker gang. The entire phone conversation between Goblin and Pria is a great balance of intrigue and drama with a bit of humour added in for good measure. The intensity of Goblin yelling at the bikers to be quiet is so abrupt but hilariously timed that it will get a good laugh from anyone reading it. This conversation also wraps up the thread established in the opening scene, giving us a little bit of closure to who kidnapped Graham.
The final pages of this issue, similar to the first, end in a shockingly visceral manner. We pick back up with Eli and his new demon as they are violently hit by a car. This incident goes from horrific to funny to disturbing with each panel and is a truly brilliant way to end this instalment.
Everything this issue delivers is so much tighter and clearer than it was in the first. From the storytelling to the comedy to the body horror, it all has a snappier pace to it here and feels a lot more impactful because of this. Rebekah and David Ian McKendry’s writing consistently dials every aspect up as far as it will go without losing sight of the narratives at play whilst Jenkins’ artwork continues to amaze and shock with every turn of the page.
Verdict
This second issue doubles down on the surreal visual style that made the first issue so intriguing. The mystery, gore and especially the humour are a lot tighter and more refined here making for a morbidly enjoyable read that improves everything in a massive way and will make any reader want to know what happens next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
