Bleeding Hearts #2 is written by Deniz Camp and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Stipan Morian, colours by Matt Hollingsworth and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Main cover art (left) is by Stipan Morian.
Bleeding Hearts #2 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
A world overrun by flesh-eating zombies is the only world young Rabbit has ever known…and her mother, Cara, has done everything she can to get her ready to survive in it. But she never expected to meet a zombie who seemed to want to help her with this goal!
Review
After a strong first issue that focused on the zombie Poke, Camp and co look to keep their series as fresh as a walking corpse can be…by switching perspectives from the zombies to a human called Cara. This may sound odd for just the second issue, but trust me, it works very well.
This shift in POV may be jarring to some, but it allows a new avenue for the team to explore the themes of humanity, existence and purpose that were clear from the very start. The change in narration gives this issue a different perspective on these topics from Poke’s and makes it surprisingly touching and heartbreaking in the process, as Cara essentially sees her life and Rabbit’s flash before her eyes while unconscious.
Due to Cara’s lack of consciousness throughout the first few pages, Stipan Morian is given the ability to let his artwork run wild with creative and abstract visuals to glue her thoughts to reality. This experimental style mixed with Matt Hollingsworth’s vivid use of pinks, purples and muddy greens adds to the surreal nature of these moments. This entire issue also shows a clear understanding of the story the team are working within and the fact that they are not afraid to try new ideas to make the thematic core and narrative as strong as it can be.
Once Cara wakes up, the murkiness and despair of the real world are instantly brought back into the fray. The growing uncertainty of their situation makes for a second half that appears more hopeless in tone than the series has delved before. The first issue balanced the typical imagery of zombie apocalypse stories with a tongue-in-cheek sense of the humour that seemed very playful. This second instalment rips out most of the comedy to coincide with the POV change from zombie to human, bringing the dread of this world crashing into reality for the audience. Again, this could have been a jarring shift, but through Camp’s writing and the strong art on display, it is handled with a genuine sense of nuance and fragility that wasn’t present in the first issue.
All of the above make the closing pages equally tense as they are bleak. The sparring use of dialogue, the shadowy imagery, and exaggerated facial expressions crank the suspense to a palpable level and open the door to many possibilities the story could take once Rabbit realises Poke isn’t like the other zombies.
This second issue of Bleeding Hearts may not be as funny as the first, but it sure as hell makes up for it with its inventiveness, depth and humanity. The storytelling on display continues to outdo itself both in execution and maturity, quickly turning this series from a great spin on a tired genre to a potential modern classic.
Verdict
Bleeding Hearts continues to bring a fresh voice to the horror genre within comics. Thanks to its fantastic artwork and thoughtful writing, this second issue presents an interesting new dynamic for the series to explore.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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