Posted by Yaira #2’s release from Rippaverse Comics caught me off-guard because the pre-order campaign seemed to drop one day with little fanfare or build-up. Just like with The Great War of Separation #1, I received Yaira #2 a few weeks ago but am only now getting around to review it.
I can’t deny that of the many offerings from Rippaverse Comics, Yaira #1 wasn’t my favorite. It wasn’t bad by any means, but I found it lacking in comparison with the other comics I’ve read from them. Unfortunately, Yaira #2 is no different. If anything, I think #2 might be the weakest comic released by Rippaverse so far. While not a bad thing per se (if every release in a series is really good, it shouldn’t reflect too poorly when one release is singled out as the worst), it’s definitely disappointing. Before I delve into specific criticisms, I’ll give my thoughts on the story.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Yaira #2 picks up shortly after #1 with Yaira renewing her hunt for the mysterious Neptune after he saved her life at the end of #1. The world believes that Yaira is dead, and she’s happy to support this lie, using her alias as Dr. Sally Rodell to hunt for the lost city of Atlantis. She’s successful, but before she can explore the city and find Neptune, her old friend Y’shua arrives to check on her and help her. The pair investigates Atlantis, where they find that Neptune has sacrificed his ten sons to grant his wife, who’s basically a captive there, immortality. Before she can fully confront Neptune, Magus Nuummite returns and attacks Yaira. Throughout #2, Yaira has been plagued with nightmares about her old enemies and dead family. At the end, it’s suddenly revealed that Magus Nuummite survived #1, or at least a part of him did, and he’s been causing trouble for Yaira every since. He reveals himself and tries to destroy her once and for all. The comic ends with Yaira getting tricked into revealing herself to the world, and taking the blame for seemingly causing destruction in Spain. Stephanya Martinez, one of Yaira’s descendants who inherited her same powers and has been taken in by Alphacore, leaves to go confront Yaira and get revenge.
The story is fine. Conceptually I don’t dislike the story the comic is trying to tell. My issues lie more in how this story is told. The pacing is pretty bad. A lot of things just kinda happen in rapid-fire sequence. One minute Yaira and Y’shua are exploring Atlantis, the next they’re fighting hostile sea creatures, then Neptune’s sons who have been turned into wraiths attack them, and then Magus Nuummite appears out of literally nowhere and attacks Yaira. The pacing is too fast, so story beats come out of nowhere and are almost incoherent at times. For example, there’s a flashback sequence where Yaira is using her powers as a child and Y’shua is telling her she’ll be executed if she keeps using them. Another flashback sequence then shows Yaira leaving Y’shua behind as she comes to earth. These flashbacks come out of nowhere and don’t progress the plot in meaningful ways. Sure they show that Yaira and Y’shua have this deep friendship going back to when they were kids, but that’s all they do. They don’t answer why Yaira left or why she can’t use her powers; they just skirt around these backstory details and leave vague implications. A similar issue occurs with the various nightmare sequences. I know that part of the storytelling is intentionally confusing these nightmares with reality, but at the same time it gets confusing for the reader to follow what’s happening. Truth be told, I’m not actually sure that Magus Nuummite is still alive and messing with Yaira. There’s a lot of ambiguity with what’s going on, and maybe that’s the point. Maybe the audience is supposed to be confused, and if that’s the point, it’s working. Another factor working against the comic is the size. It”s short. Yaira #2 is only 56 pages. I’m unsure how long #1 was, but I’m pretty sure it was at least 70+ pages. While the price reflects #2’s size, it also hinders the cohesion of the narrative and its pacing.
SPOILERS END
Finally, there’s the artwork. It’s… fine for the most part I guess. I can’t deny that it has some really awkward and uncanny panels here and there though. There’s one in particular that doesn’t have any dialogue, just two character’s faces, and for the life of me I cannot comprehend what is supposed to be happening in the panel. The action sequences are pretty good, though again the pacing can sometimes get in the way and mess with the flow of action. There are definitely some moments where the dialogue can be a challenge to follow with how the page spread and individual panels are drawn. Though again, a lot of this confusion is due to the overarching issue of pacing. Overall, I think that the artwork is decent enough, but there are enough weird or unsettling panels here and there that it will take you out of the story for a second.
While this review has been more negative than positive, I do want to end it by saying that I enjoyed Yaira #2. It advances Yaira’s story in intriguing ways that do make me want to see what happens next. I think that the story is pretty good, even if its pacing falters. Despite its flaws, I can’t wait to see what happens next in Yaira #3.
Broad Scope Entertainment 