Finola’s Patricidal Revolution Gains Momentum In Clankillers #2
by Brendan M. Allen
Finola and Cillian track down the famed Dullahan-the headless horseman of the Irish countryside! At home, their father Padraig is unleashing his wrath on anyone who comes near, even as his daughters’ own powers and villainy are beginning to rise against him. The body count also rises and the mythology expands in this next chapter of this hit new series!
Clankillers #2 clips right along at the breakneck pace that the first chapter established last month. Finola and Cillian continue collecting mystical allies for their upcoming war against all the clans of ancient Ireland, and ultimately Finola’s dear old da’ himself, King Padraig the Grotesque. As far as Padraig goes, he’s bound and determined to chase down his little darling and end her shenanigans.
The dialogue flows much better for me in this chapter, mainly because Sean Lewis dialed the “fecks” way back. There’s still one in there that really should be the hard “u,” but we get it out of the way in the opening monologue, so it’s easy to move past. (If you didn’t catch my thoughts on chapter one, you can find more on my issues with “feck” vs. “fuck” here.)
We still don’t know a whole lot about many of the characters’ motivations, except that Padraig doesn’t seem like a very congenial fellow. We do get a little background on Paddy’s relationship with his eldest, but the source of Finola’s grudge is still a mystery. Probably more on that yet to come.
Artwork by Antonio Fuso and Stefano Simeone carries over the frenetic tension of the first chapter. There’s a dark, esoteric quality that works well for the period and nature of the script. A couple of the action scenes could have dragged out a panel or two longer, but the general aesthetic plays.
This chapter felt a lot like the second part of a split series opener. I stand by my initial assessment of this series. It’s got a hell of a lot going for it. I’m just waiting for that first big pop.
Clankillers #2, published by AfterShock Comics, released 08 August 2018. Written by Sean Lewis, art/cover/logo by Antonio Fuso, color by Stefano Simeone, letters by Dave Sharpe.