Scarlet #2 by Brian Michael Bendis - Comic Book Review

From the publisher: Scarlet has declared war against those who would abuse their power against innocent people—and that war has shut down the city of Portland and brought the eyes of the world upon her. But as the revolution grows, will it slip through her fingers? Oh, and the president is on the phone. It’s another blistering chapter of a world we may one day find ourselves in from the creators that brought you the  Eisner Award-winning Daredevil and Iron Man.

Scarlet #2 by Brian Michael Bendis starts off right where issue #1 left us. A Navy Seal trooper from the US Government has parachuted into Portland with a message from the government: What are your demands? And that’s the question that this whole issue deals with.

To start out, we get a glimpse of how Portland was taken over by Scarlet and her group of followers. That was a nice peak into the backstory for those of us who didn’t read the previous series. From there, Scarlet is tasked with figuring if she wants to deal with the US Government, and if so, what exactly she hopes to get or achieve. We see her in a moment of quiet weakness, as well as summoning her courage and strength as she broadcasts to her followers/supporters throughout the country. There are also a couple of scenes with other members of Scarlet’s group that promise to have an impact as the story progresses.

I enjoyed this issue, even though it was mostly just talking. It was a great look inside Scarlet as a character, and Bendis excels at this. There is depth to Scarlet; she is not just an angry mob leader/terrorist or figurehead. Her reasons for fighting back are still warring inside her, and Bendis portrays that. She also has a chance to talk things out with a trusted friend, which provides clarity as she comes to a decision about bargaining with the government. There is definitely still room for character development, especially for the other close members of the group, but this issue did a fine job of adding layers to Scarlet.

This is an interesting series. It seems very pertinent to the conflicting ideas about America that exist in our country today, and might provide a nice vehicle to examine much of what is happening in our world. Scarlet is an intriguing character, one worth building a series around. However, I’d like to learn more about Scarlet’s fellow rebels, and maybe even what this revolt in Portland looks like to the rest of the country. I would recommend Brian Michael Bendis’s Scarlet #2. It is a good and thought-provoking read, and is still new enough that new readers should be able to jump aboard without too much of a problem.

I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics and Jinxworld in exchange for an honest review.