By Chris Tresson

Today I’m looking at the second issue of Dead Inside, the crime comic by John Arcudi and Toni Fejzula from Dark Horse Comics. I liked the first issue and going into this, I was expecting more of the same from this creative team. Here’s what I thought of issue two.

The issue starts off dealing with what we were left with in the first installment (naturally) and it’s fairly clear from the get-go that the second issue is going to be a bit slower than the first. It’s an entertaining read, nonetheless, and the story is still building towards something. We’re getting fed little pieces of the story like saline through an IV drip, but it’s still moving forward which is nice. I’m not sure how many issues this book is going to run for but I’m hoping it’ll start to reveal a bit more of what’s actually going on pretty soon.

Arcudi is super smart with not revealing too much about what’s really going on with this story. This issue didn’t really advance the case all that much, but it gave a little insight into what was left over from the last issue. It’s exciting to read, and whatever is actually going on in this series, I would like to see the end of it and find out for myself. There’s some great, natural-feeling dialogue in this story. There wasn't a point in this issue that anything the characters were saying took me out of the story. It all feels real whilst reading it, so I really like that about the story. Another plus is the ending of the issue. Another great cliff-hanging splash page that’s a WTF moment which I am sure will make readers want to get the next issue and find out what’s going on. Jon Arcudi knows what he’s doing here and that’s really nice to see.

The art in this issue from Toni Fejzula stays consistent, though there isn’t all that much action on display. Not a bad thing for me this time around but I’d love to see Fejzula doing some more dynamic stuff in future issues. It’s probably the setting which is holding him back from doing this but you never know… Maybe a prison riot will be on the cards at some point and we’ll get to see some big action. Overall, I liked the art and it’s still working really well with Andre May as colorist. The color scheme is what makes it all come together for me. The choice of the color doesn’t distract from what’s going on and it adds to the real-feel, the grittiness, with May’s toned down palette. No real complaints about the art… Good job, fellas. 

If you liked the first issue then you’re more than likely not going to be put off by the second. It’s continuing to entertain me and I’m still pretty intrigued by the whole thing. I want to know what’s going to happen next, and that’s how you keep people reading your books.

SCORE: 3/5

Dead Inside #2

Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Toni Fejzula
Colorist: Andre May
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics