Playing Your Wild Card Was Never This Dangerous In Going To The Chapel #2

Emily’s special day is ruined by the Bad Elvis Gang busting in to rob her wedding…or is it? See, the leader of the gang is her ex-boyfriend and she was having some second thoughts about this whole marriage thing in the first place, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Needless to say, this wedding is already pretty complicated and the cops swarming the place outside aren’t helping.

Going to the Chapel moves at a breakneck pace. There is so much packed into this single issue. Writer David Pepose seamlessly moves from action to drama to comedy and back again. Your jaw will drop one moment and the next you’ll be laughing out loud. All the while, you’re glued to the page wondering what will happen next.

There are quite a few wild cards in this book. Sure, the gang is a big one, especially since they’re swinging guns around, but the guests are just as crazy. The family drama and infighting is on full display as a bunch of them argue with each other even though they’re in a hostage situation. This leads to some absolutely absurd, yet hilarious moments, like when one of the guests reveals she has a second phone that wasn’t taken away by the robbers…but it’s only for use with social media so no calls can be made.

This range of emotion is brought to life by artist Gavin Guidry. The facial expressions of each character say so much. Emmy is an absolute gold mine for these as you can see the doubts and second guesses on her face as she thinks about what to do next. Guidry is even able to bring this quality to the Bad Elvis Gang, who are all wearing ill-fitting masks. You can still tell they’re wearing masks, yet there’s a bit of expression that shines through them, even though they’re supposed to be static.

Letterer Ariana Maher adds to the comedic timing of Going to the Chapel with some subtle adjustments to font size. There’s a great shot early on when Emmy realizes what her ex-boyfriend has been up to and I immediately understood the volume of her voice and her inflection based on how it was shown on the page. It’s one of those quick thoughts that you say to yourself at a lower tone and it comes across perfectly.

Going to the Chapel #2 culminates in an insane explosion of sorts that I did not see coming, yet is pitch perfect for this setting and the pure chaos that’s unfolding. It’s equal parts ridiculous and amazing, creating an exciting action sequence that will have your head on a swivel. Guidry shows some excellent art direction here, keeping you focused on each aspect of the scene in a way that would be lost in a movie with a bunch of jump cuts.

Since we’re out in the desert, the harsh sun is beating down on this chapel. Colorist Liz Kramer adds to the tension of this wedding heist with the bright light shining on everyone. You can practically feel the temperature rising, coinciding with the rising tension. Under other circumstances, this would be a beautiful day full of vibrant energy. Instead, this is painted with a very different tone.

You’ve seen bank heists and time heists, but have you ever really seen a wedding heist? Going to the Chapel delivers a crazy, fast-paced mix of action, comedy, and drama all wrapped in a quirky bow. It’s fun from beginning to end. I’m so plugged into this series and we’re only just getting started. How can these characters possibly get out of this mess? And do they even want to at this point? Maybe this mess is exactly what Emmy needed in the first place.

Going to the Chapel #2 from Action Lab: Danger Zone is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.