With this series only lasting 3 books, issue 2 moves at a frenetic pace.
Issue 1 ended with Jun asking Palmer if she wanted to be a Spartan.
Issue 2 picks up with Insurrectionists planning to steal the UNSC Infinity. The next couple of pages show Palmer’s transformation from normal human to super soldier. What’s great about these pages is that they tell some of the story of what those changes actually are. VERY cool!
Palmer and 4 other spartan recruits go through an exercise against marines where 4 of them are taken down. Palmer is the lone survivor, but at a cost. Yes, she completes the mission, but learns a lesson in team support. Thankfully this is just an exercise and all of the spartans are alive and well.
Next we see the newly minted spartans aboard the Infinity. There is a two-page spread showing the Infinity in all it’s glory and it looks outstanding!
The Innies pose as a construction crew and board the ship shortly thereafter kidnapping Captain Del Rio. He’s such a putz… Alarms sound, we get to see the Infinity’s AI, which at this point is NOT Roland, but one who takes a female form. The Innies take control of the ship. Palmer moves to action selected the now known Scout armor she is seen wearing in Halo 4’s Campaign and Spartan Ops. The last page shows her being harnessed up in the suit.
Okay, so the story is good, but man, there are SO many questions I’d like to ask. One thing mentioned in this issue is that Spartans do not have rank. ‘Spartan’ IS their rank. Um SORRY…No that is WRONG! Master Chief is a RANK, not his name. All of Noble team had ranks. Palmer herself is a Lieutenant in the campaign, then goes on to be a Commander. So um, PLEASE do NOT screw with continuity here! GRR, I really hate when this kind of stuff happens.
The art itself is good. I think better in this issue than in the first. Though I’m not found of the cover of this one as Palmer looks to “girlie.”
All this said, if you’re into the fiction as I am, this is a MUST buy!
On sale now at a Comic Book store near you! (And I HIGHLY recommend buying from those local shops as they need your support, rather than an online retailer.)
-Sal