Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
    Battlefield 6 Multiplayer Reveal promotional image

    Battlefield 6 Classes, Maps, And More: Everything You Need To Know

    07/31/2025
    A glimpse at all the upcoming Star Wars stories coming to the galaxy

    Star Wars Stories: What We Learned At SDCC 2025

    07/25/2025
    Blindspot episode still

    It’s been 5 years since ‘Blindspot’ ended. Why haven’t you watched it yet?

    07/24/2025
    Strange Scaffold

    Strange Scaffold Summer Showcase Delivers Bizarre And Brilliant Games

    07/22/2025
  • Fantasia Festival
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
But Why Tho?
Home » Marvel Comics » REVIEW: ‘S.W.O.R.D.,’ Issue #2

REVIEW: ‘S.W.O.R.D.,’ Issue #2

Charles HartfordBy Charles Hartford01/13/20213 Mins ReadUpdated:04/30/2021
S.W.O.R.D. #2
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

S.W.O.R.D. #2

S.W.O.R.D. #2 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Al Ewing, art by Valerio Schiti, colors by Marte Gracia, and letters by Ariana Maher. Following their first successful mission, Brand and company had probably hoped for some quiet times to get the final pieces of their new home into place. But with the arrival of Knull, the earth beneath them has been sealed away in a symbiotic shell, and they may be the only ones still free.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

With everyone scrambling to respond to the recent invasion, S.W.O.R.D. #2 spends most of its time setting up the plot more so than executing it. With the primary focus being reestablishing communications with Krakoa, Brand sends a party down to the home island to find out what exactly the situation is. Meanwhile, she has another side project for Mentallo. In case things don’t go the way they want.

Even though the primary storyline is still forming, there is plenty to entertain readers thanks to Ewing’s trademark character writing. From Brand’s no-nonsense confidence to some of the more eccentric personalities onboard The Peak, every character is brimming with personality. I especially like how Ewing is leaning into how disdainful Cortez is. I’m looking forward to the first time he accidentally utters the term “flatscan” in Brand’s hearing.

And while Cortez’s usage of the old slur for non-mutants is certainly par for the course with him, it also says something about the mutants around him. Since the term is literally an expression coined by the Acolytes to put down those who aren’t mutants, the fact that no one else seems to care about his using it is concerning. I hope such intolerance is addressed at some point in future issues.

I like how this series approaches background information for its various characters. Rather than lengthy sequences with full art panels delivering a multi-page back story, these informational moments are streamlined to single-page memos. Designed to look like data entries from Brand, this format greatly reduces the amount of story space this information takes while still having an interesting aesthetic.

The art in S.W.O.R.D. #2 is, above all else, extremely cool. The outfit designs in this series are some of the best. Agent Brand’s attire, in particular, perfectly accents her attitude. Everything about the station, as well as its personnel, is sleek and stylish. The cutting edge all around.

The colorwork present throughout the panels of this book further pushes the energy and coolness of The Peak and its inhabitants. With blues, greens and purples liberally coloring the pages of the book, the art in S.W.O.R.D. #2 never fails to catch the eye with its gorgeous color palette choices.

Rounding out the visual presentation is Maher’s letter work. The lettering delivers the story in a clear way that allows the reader to follow it with ease. It never gets in the way of the art, and some final extra design work on the dialogue of a surprise appearance, in the end, helps the book’s final moment land with just a bit of extra energy.

When all is said and done, S.W.O.R.D. #2 is a strong start to this chapter of the King in Black event. It sets several gears in motion and feels like it may be putting pieces into place for its own larger storylines, as well as being a piece of a big crossover event.

S.W.O.R.D. #2 is available on January 13th, wherever comics are sold.

S.W.O.R.D. #2
4

TL;DR

When all is said and done, S.W.O.R.D. #2 is a strong start to this chapter of the King in Black event. It sets several gears in motion and feels like it may be putting pieces into place for its own larger storylines, as well as being a piece of a big crossover event.

  • Buy via ComiXology Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Star Wars: Darth Vader,’ Issue #9
Next Article REVIEW: ‘The Immortal Hulk,’ Issue #42
Charles Hartford
  • X (Twitter)

Lifelong geek who enjoys comics, video games, movies, reading and board games . Over the past year I’ve taken a more active interest in artistic pursuits including digital painting, and now writing. I look forward to growing as a writer and bettering my craft in my time here!

Related Posts

Cover art for Ultimates Issue 14

REVIEW: ‘Ultimates’ Issue 14

07/30/2025
Cover art for Uncanny X-Men Issue 18

REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue 18

07/23/2025
Cover of Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe Issue 1

REVIEW: ‘Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe’ Issue 1

07/16/2025
Cover of Imperial Issue 2

REVIEW: ‘Imperial’ Issue 2

07/16/2025
Fantastic Four Issue 1 (2025) cover

REVIEW: ‘Fantastic Four’ Issue 1

07/09/2025
Ultimate Spider-Man Incursion Issue 2 cover

REVIEW: ‘Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion’ Issue 2

07/09/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Wildgate promotional key art
9.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Wildgate’ Is Co-Op Space Mayhem Done Right

By Adrian Ruiz07/25/2025Updated:07/30/2025

Built for friends and tuned for competition, Wildgate is messy in the best way: smart, surprising, and bursting with room to grow.

Glass Heart
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Glass Heart’ Offers Messy, Musical Catharsis

By Allyson Johnson07/22/2025

The musical drama series ‘Glass Heart’ soars when it focuses on the epic performances of it’s fictional band, TENBLANK.

Simon in An Honest Life But Why Tho
3.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘An Honest Life’ Is Terribly Dishonest About Its Own Politics

By Jason Flatt08/02/2025

An Honest Life is an overly severe misfire about a law student who falls in with anarchist burglars that can’t decide who it resents more.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here