'Hacktivist' Volume 2 Review: Alyssa Milano's Comic Book Continues With Epic Second Issue!
From actress, producer, designer Alyssa Milano (Charmed), comes the next chapter to her comic book from BOOM! Studios/Archaia Entertaiment. Hacktivist Volume 2 #2 is a gripping and epic read brought to you by co-writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, and artist Marcus To.
As we previously mentioned, in our review of the first issue, time has passed to six month later. After watching his best friend, Ed Hiccox die, Nate Graft's life has pulled his life back together. Now in charge of VIGIL, the front line of America's ongoing cyber operations, Nate thought he finally had some peace of mind. Unfortunately, there is a new breed of hacker, calling themselves sve_urs3lf, using Nate and Ed's former handle.
The second installment introduces readers to a new hacker. In our MStars News interview, Lanzing reveals, "Her name is Grace Decker and you got a glimpse of her in the final pages of Issue #1. Like Sirine in Volume 1, Grace carries a lot of the moral weight of the story on her shoulders - but unlike Sirine, she is also to some degree an antagonist for Nate and Ed. She's the most morally complicated character in the Hacktivist universe so far and we can't wait to see how fans react to her."
The script by Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing moves at a quick pace introducing the backstory of their newest character. As readers, we get to see pivotal moments that influenced each member of sve_urs3lf. We see the built-in frustration and growing anger that stirred their decision to blow up the world.
The artwork by Marcus To captures the emotional turmoil between Nate and Ed. Playing around with panel layouts, To illustrates the suspense of the explosion and the reactions to the event at the same time. Notice how colorists Ian Herring and Becka Kenzie paint their environment with blue shades, so that your eyes focus just on the pink tone.
Rating: Must Buy
Interestingly, Hacktivist Vol. 2 #2 continues with its timely message about safety vs. freedom, without being preachy, but always thought-provoking.