REVIEW: ‘Fire Power,’ Issue #2

Fire Power #2, written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Chris Samnee, colored by Matt Wilson and lettered by Rus Wooton, is published by Image Comics underneath their Skybound imprint. Picking up where the first issue left off, Owen Johnson is attacked in his home by a group of ninjas. However, it turns out to be a test from his old friend Ma Guang.

Much like the infamous “Silent Interlude” issue of Marvel’s old G.I. Joe comics, a majority of the issue is told via artwork. There is very little spoken dialogue in this issue, meaning that Samnee’s art has to do the majority of the storytelling. Fortunately, this is a task that he is up to.

From the first page, we are treated to a near-unbroken line of movement. Owen immediately leaps out of bed, and confronts the ninja who broke into his house. Samnee injects plenty of tension into the fight between the ninjas and Owen, who seem to be evenly matched. There’s also some humor as he has to stop objects from falling and awakening his wife and kids. It’s a nice homage to the Jackie Chan style of fighting.

Wilson colors the entire issue in dark tones, using dark blues and black to once again create the illusion of night. It also adds to the tension of the fight, since the ninjas are clad in all black. They appear when you least expect and keep Owen on his toes. One of the sole bursts of color comes from Owen using his “Flaming Fist” ability to strike one of the ninjas. Samnee and Kirkman utilized a similar technique in the graphic novel and it’s just as effective here.

However, the series yet again hits the “new reader” barrier. The ending features the surprise return of a character close to Owen; however, said character first appeared in the graphic novel. Without that backstory, the reveal lacks the “oomph” that it should have. On the other hand, this gives readers the incentive to track down the graphic novel and the first issue. I definitely feel like this story flows more smoothly when you have all the pieces.

The best part of the issue features Kirkman and Samnee discussing the process of creating the issue.  Samnee says the first half of the issue was his favorite to draw due to the silent aspect. Meanwhile, Kirkman discusses the pace he sets with his writing. They had a similar rapport in the first issue, and it’s nice to take a peek underneath the hood and see the creative process.

Fire Power #2 utilizes the full skills of its art team to create a visually striking fight sequence. This series has worn its martial arts influences on its sleeve, and I hope to see future issues utilize more of it. With the first two issues and the graphic novel out, Kirkman and Samnee are off to a strong start for this series.

Fire Power #2 is available wherever comics are sold.