Jenny Zero #2 is published by Dark Horse Comics, written by Dave Dwonch and Brockton McKinney, art by Magenta King, colors by Dam with letters by Dave Dwonch. Having discovered she posses the same growth abilities as her late father, Jenny confronts the attacking Jagokai on equal footing. But as the dust settles from her battle, a great many questions come to light. And the answers are unlikely to make Jenny happy.
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Has a lie ever brought lasting peace? Even the best-intentioned lies all seem to have a shelf life on them that, upon expiration, bring a pain that is far worse than the one the lie saught to avoid. It always seems like the lie is never for the one being deceived. Rather, it is for the peace of mind of the one doing the deceiving so that they may never have to experience the discomfort of delivering a harsh truth.
Jenny Zero #2 opens with a flashback to the last day of our protagonist’s father’s life. As he prepares to face his final foe, he leaves behind his last request. One that will have an immense impact on Jenny and how she perceives herself. Whether this request is kind or not will be for the reader to decide. As the choice her father makes takes a part of Jenny’s agency over her own life from her, I tend to dislike the choice, even if it is well-intentioned.
Once this flashback ends, we catch up to Jenny, having just discovered she could grow to immense size, just as her father could. Briefly reveling in her newfound power, Jenny eagerly tears into her opponent. While Jenny manages to make short work of the immediate threat, she is soon faced with a more personal challenge: finding out how she has these powers and why she’s never known about it.
Despite the briefness of time spent with Jenny, anyone would be able to predict how poorly the following conversations go. Interlaced with these confrontations are numerous flashbacks that flesh out Jenny’s history. In particular, her dealing with her dad’s passing and her first meeting with her friend Dana.
Dwonch and McKinney deliver a strong script for Jenny Zero #2. Their portrayal of Jenny, as she learns the secrets of her life she rightfully should’ve known all along, feel real and consistent with the sort of character the story establishes.
The art by King helps to fully realize both the emotional content as well as the violence. The rough style of linework enhances the sense of instability the story builds around Jenny and the many uncertainties she is faced with. While I think all the art works well for this story all around, my favorite choice comes with the presentation of Jenny’s dad.
In the opening sequence with Jenny’s dad, the reader is never given a good look at him. He is simply portrayed as a blackened outline. This lack of clarity with Jenny’s dad creates an ethereal air to the character.
The colors in Jenny Zero #2 help add to the book’s uniqueness. The softer tones are not what I would expect from this story, yet they mostly work. While I’m unsure if it was the best way to go, they certainly don’t do the story any harm.
Lastly, we have the lettering. The choice to go with a not perfectly clean font style proves to be a good one. It lends itself well to the messy sort of look the book has while not going so far as to impede the reader’s ability to follow the story.
Looking back at Jenny Zero #2, I think it largely manages to succeed at everything it tries to deliver. It catches the reader up on Jenny well while at the same time moving its primary plot forward.
Jenny Zero #2 is available June 2nd wherever comics are sold.
Jenny Zero #2
TL;DR
Looking back at Jenny Zero #2, I think it largely manages to succeed at everything it tries to deliver. It catches the reader up on Jenny well while at the same time moving its primary plot forward.
