Review: ‘All Against All’ #2 Explores The Survival Of The Fittest
by Tony Thornley
Last month, we were introduced to a violent future after Earth’s destruction. Now we get to see what the last human is like in such a future.
Alex Paknadel, Caspar Wijngaard, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and Ian Chalgren introduce us to Helpless, the last human.
The Operators’ military have taken control of Director B’Tay’s station, looking for new bodies to inhabit and wage their war. In B’Tay’s files, they have discovered humans, a terrifying and remarkably adaptable species from a dead planet called Earth. Now they just need to retrieve the last surviving human from his habitat, and they’re all about to learn they’ve underestimated humanity.
After an issue full of world-building, Paknadel gives us an equally good issue of character building. Though he again has little page time, Helpless is fully introduced, and we get his entire history. Paknadel is able to write him from an outsider’s perspective, showing why humans are so terrifying, while showing and telling why Helpless is such a credible threat against a superior foe.
Wijngaard’s art is incredible. He had a great sense of making the layouts direct the story and drive the story. He makes the Operators extremely expressive and relatable, so we can see what they’re thinking and feeling while still feeling alien. One of my favorite things about this issue is how he uses color to tell the story as well. When we see the other human children in flashback, they’re all brighter against the backgrounds to make them pop, and he gives both Helpless and B’Tay heterochromia to set them apart while relating them to each other.
Otsmane-Elhaou and Chalgren both put a lot into the book to make it pop as well. The design draws you in, and the letters tell the story in more than just translating the script into word balloons. It looks completely unique amongst books on the stands today, and they contribute to it as much as Wijngaard’s art.
With all the ground work done, I think we’re about to see this series evolving into an action thriller. Based on what the creative team has done with these first two issues, I’m excited to see where that goes.
All Against All #2 is available now from Image Comics.
Overview
With all the ground work done, I think we’re about to see this series evolving into an action thriller. Based on what the creative team has done with these first two issues, I’m excited to see where that goes.
