ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Dead End Kids’ #2 – Holes

One of my all-time favorite comic series is set to release a new issue in a few weeks. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the Dead End Kids series, but now I can’t imagine my life without it. Dead End Kids #2, which is published by Source Point Press, is written by Fran Gogol, illustrated and colored by Nenad Cviticanin, and lettered by Sean Rinehart. The previous issue follows Tank, Amanda, and Murphy as they deal with the death of their best friend, Ben. The story is told through the perspective of Murphy and focuses on how this group of friends will attempt to deal with this unfortunate event, on top of dealing with their own personal issues.

Dead End Kids #2 picks up immediately with Tank, Amanda, and Murphy spotting Blumer walking around in the frozen lake. Desperate to find a way to prove that Blumer is the one that killed Ben, Murphy confronts him. The group takes him back to their cabin in the woods but quickly find themselves way in over their heads. The situation only worsens by the minute, leading to major consequences. Several flashbacks are included in the comic are several flashbacks of characters which will give readers a better understanding of them.

The confrontation with Bulmer was quite an interesting direction for the central characters to take. In Dead End Kids #1, Murphy was very quick to blame Avery but changed his mind once he saw Blumer. It’s no surprise that he’s desperately hoping to capture Ben’s killer, but his methods are completely reckless. One can assume that this is his way of grieving. If so, he’s putting not only himself in danger but his friends as well. There’s no doubt that Murphy’s decisions will start to put a major strain on the trio’s friendship. The comic does an excellent job with teasing this turmoil when Tank and Amanda begin to question Murphy. I’m very much looking forward to seeing if this sense of doubt leads to something even bigger.

The flashbacks not only reveal information about central characters but they also provide different aspects to the story as a whole. For one, they further enforce this sense of doubt sparking within Amanda and Tank. Even though they are also grieving after Ben’s death, they’re still able to think about what they’re doing. They’ve been through their own personal struggles and seemed to have learned lessons from them. These lessons are why Tank and Amanda aren’t too keen on just following what Murphy says. Since Ben was their leader, this sense of doubt would seem to imply that they’re just not fully willing to back any decision made by Murphy.

In addition, the flashbacks give more information about Ben. Since Ben is dead, it can be assumed that the flashbacks might be the only way readers will be able to learn more about him. His flashback shows more on the relationship he had with his father and why his father seemed distant in Dead End Kids #1. It brings a much more sentimental aspect to the comic that hadn’t appeared until then. These flashbacks give me hope that we’ll be able to learn more about Ben. Since so much of the story revolves around his murder, it helps to know readers can still find ways to connect with his character.

Overall, the creative team has once again delivered a phenomenal issue. The friendship is already starting to have issues without Ben to lead. I’m hoping that they’ll come out of this but it wouldn’t surprise me if the challenges only get bigger from here on out. The ending of Dead End Kids #2 surely elevates the stakes of the entire series as a whole. It propels the story to become an even bigger mystery and makes it clear that Amanda, Tank, and Murphy are not safe. I look forward to reading the next issue of this amazing comic series.

Dead End Kids #2 will be available for purchase on August 21, 2019.