Plainer Jane #2, Reviewed. For Fans of Darker Slightly Twisted Comic Books.

How about a return to the plainest girl with the innate skill and nonchalance for making things deaded? Of course, it's the wonderfully macabre Plainer Jane issue two from David Wilburn, Wayne Lowden and Ralf Singh via Broken Face Comics.

The super team that brought us Plainer Jane issue 1 returns in full force with a couple of new teammates for chapter 2 "The Kill". For a minimalist spoiler-free review of issue 1, we’ve got you covered here. If that intrigues you enough it would be an excellently idealistic opportunity to get over to the Kickstarter where you’ll be able to procure not just issue one but in fact issues two and the soon to be released issue three, of this awesome emergent series. You can even get issue one completely free, now that’s a show of faith in a series. Try it out then come back here for this review of number two. If you ain't got time for that or it still leaves you on the fence, I’ll offer here an overview spoiler freeish account of issue two but be warned for potential spoilers from issue one. Without further dilly-dallying let’s get into it.

So, let’s start with the art. We’re starting again with the intensely talented collective responsible for this series, covering front covers, including a variant, rear cover, sequential art, colours, logos and lettering and we’ll start at the beginning. Ralf Singh returns with the front cover with another super polished opener of exceptional enticement. If you judge a book by its cover, it doesn't get much better than this. Combined with Tim West's logo it’s a complete delivery, the contrast of imagery is wonderful for the eyes, with the duality on display perfectly encapsulating the story and character. Ralf’s ability to pack so much storytelling into a cover is excellent and Tim West's logo is a strong emphasiser and perfect compliment to the art. Cropping up next or alternatively, Nestor Celario Jr gives a noir cover depicting a much more serious looking Jane offering an interesting contrast of interpretation. Tims subtly adjusted logo is a tailored fit accomplishing another great edition. It’s Ralf's cover though that once again ploughs its way into my personal favourite independent comic covers for the year.

On to the interior art then and Wayne Lowden is at it again with his distinctly styled black and white art. This art is an even more polished delivery of bold ink lines, clever cross-hatch shading and fine detail. There's a creeping darkness to the art that is full of narrative power as it builds to this issue's closing panels. Wayne's ability to weave a building, growing menace that depicts the contrast in Jane's personality and life is fantastically clever just like Ralf’s cover; there's an almost schizophrenic level of opposing narrative running through the art. Wayne sells the two sides of Jane in an artful wonder that is captivating. Robert Last is back with the artful exclamation point that is those splashes of red which punctuate the most violent moments adding a special kind of malevolent violence. Tim West returns with the thoroughly professional lettering fans will come to expect while new addition Fiona Oakly provides fun additional pieces of interior art and contributions to lettering. Finally it’s the return of Donna A Black with the intense back cover.

After the first issues twisted Joy Division album cover, the theme continues with the 'The Smiths' album cover shot of Salford Lads Club, a building with strong ties to Manchester heritage as well as an interesting connection through bassist Peter Hooks back to Joy Division. Donna's art reinterprets this building much like the first back cover to offer what I can best describe as album covers dipped in death, wonderfully macabre imaginings that serve as divine full stops to the sublimely executed art of Plainer Jane.

Well with that murderer's row of art talent how does David Wilburn's story hold up. Well, let’s look back at issue one. David in the opening pages introduced us to a well-honed killer with a strong knowledge of anatomy and skill to exploit it. We learnt that this innate ability for the art of deading things has been with Jane from a young age. Something like a morbid fixation but more of a comfortable ability for dispatching mortal coils. Like Jane's plainness, it’s not a hindrance or factor that holds her back or a symptom of trauma. It’s just her nature, and something she can profit from. At that age where we are asked to pick our career lane Jane finds a path, thanks to the dark web, to start a career that makes the most of this natural talent. With her first professional hit as Plainstorm under her belt, as cumbersome as it was in execution, Jane has taken her first steps and now here we are at issue two. Issue one gave us Jane's origin story and showed us her inclination for and obsessions with deaded things, issue two then starts with a closer look at Jane's atypical relationship with best friend Kat. Navigating Maths, boys and their mixed martial arts trained ex’s via cursed mental images of wrinkle on wrinkle action. The two young women's conversations dominate the first half of the issue and David Wilburn does a great job of delivering the socially acceptable side of Jane while highlighting her disconnect from it.

The intimacy and familiarity of Kat and Janes relationship puts back into context Jane's seeming ordinariness. It’s an entertaining dialogue that builds the narrative points before we return to Jane's career prospects. Jane's learning from previous mistakes with a pragmatic approach and the opportunity of her first human target gives her the chance to hone her craft. There's the art of stalking your prey, the importance of detective work and a good list. Lessons in how to manage impatient clients and how to identify a target's weak spot, not necessarily arteries, genitals and eyeballs. Although a certain appendage will be this target's undoing. This story, just like its art and just like Jane, is one of two sides with an underlying building darkness that delivers an excellently entertaining dance macabre that is cementing this comic as something impressively tremendous.

For fans of darker slightly twisted comic books, unflinching killers, dark web novice contract killers, great music, beautiful macabre art, being exceptionally unexceptional, outliers, death dipped album covers and Manchester then Plainer Jane is the series for you. It is so much fun and there's a great opportunity to get involved on their Kickstarter. There are some really special rewards on offer catering for all levels of fans from the uninitiated to the hardcore. For art lovers and comic collectors alike and all at very reasonable levels of affordability. The Kickstarter is in its final week so act fast to reap those rewards or alternatively check out www.brokenfacecomics.com for more purchase options and to keep up to date with happenings.

Review: 4.8/5