Advance Review: ‘Bermuda’ #2 Offers Up More All Ages Action And Adventure

John Layman and Nick Bradshaw continue to serve up a right rollicking raucous romp through the lost island of Trangle. And this issue the pair gleefully throw pirates into the mix for that all important swashbuckling action requisite to any seafaring adventure like this one.

Following the pattern of the debut issues’ opening, we once again get a tale of terror on the high seas writ large on the splash page. But this time we are transported back to the 19th century and two pirate captains who find themselves at odds with one another and running foul of the strange pull of the Bermuda Triangle. Even if they don’t know it yet.

Cut to the present day and even more problems. Rich kid, Bobby Randolph, has got missing looking for his sister on an island full of dangers. The search gives Bradshaw another chance to dazzle readers with the intricate and amazing design work he crams into every nook and cranny of available space on the page. The lush, dense, gnarly, ancient forestry, the various astounding inhabitants of the island, and the centuries’ worth of lost treasures  and artefacts that all combine to present a vivid, exciting environment upon which Layman can set his story. A story that appeals to all ages and one I truly hope finds its readership. 

It also gives Bradshaw the chance to introduce us to Piratetown, initially over a sprawling, jaw-dropping double-page spread and then in more detail as the story progresses and we zoom in. And again, I give an honourable mention to colour artist Len O’Grady for his skills. With art this dense with detail a lot could have been lost in through the addition f colour, but O’Grady only helps delineate it and expertly so too.

Layman and Bradshaw are certainly having a good time on this series, and it’s infectious. It’s one part Indiana Jones, another part Kamandi in tone, and one other part the best of children’s contemporary literature. A high concept, all-ages adventure with plenty of imagination in both the script and the art. Bermuda, our eponymous hero, is a great addition to the ranks of child heroes such as Peter Pan, Harry Potter and Katniss.

A fun-filled adventure that bounces along at a pace while developing a bigger threat in the background that Bermuda and Bobby will eventually have to deal with. 

Bermuda #2 is out Wednesday 18th August from IDW Publishing

Read my interview with John Layman all about Bermuda here.