Review: Second Chances

Second Chances is the second collection of short comics from Will O'Mullane, following on from the brilliant Establishing Shot. There is no B side this time, though, with just three stories taking center stage.

The three stories we have are Second Changes, with art by Marco Perugini; Inheriterror, with art by Fabian Lelay and colours by J.R. Harris; and Onobatopoeia, with art by Luke Balmer-Kemp. Lettering on all three is handled by Jonathan Stevenson, who also designed the cover.

Story one, Second Chances, is a short horror story. It starts with some simple advice and ends with the same, although with a very different meaning. It's a clever way to show how we'll initially read it, compared with what it ends up meaning. The art by Marco Perugini is nice, with a brush pen style that conveys a lot with few details. The colour palette choice of two primary colours (blue & red) suits the art style perfectly and makes some panels pop in the right places and scenarios. It's really accomplished art and is a great way to start the comic.

Next up, we have Inheriterror, which has a sci-fi vibe with genetically enhanced agents. There are few pages to tell this father and son story, but with some quick flashbacks and action-packed panels, you get the gist of things. This is the one story where I feel the shortness of it leaves you wanting more. You could unpack this one into a full comic on its own, and it'd be magnificent. Fabian Lelay's art is solid and would look really nice, with a manga feel to that would look good in black and white, but instead, we have J.R. Harris elevating the art with colours, making use of just two primary colours like the proceeding story - only this time it's red and yellow. It's an inspired choice, and I particularly like the different use of colours compared to Second Chances. Harris uses red for now and yellow for the flashbacks.

The final story, Onobatopoeia, is a superhero one. It's a story that makes me think of Adam West's Batman with the dialogue and sound effects on display. It also took me back to an Establishing Shot story where sound effects manifest into solid items in the world. It's a nice little nod to the previous comic. Luke Balmer-Kemp has to work with an action-packed few pages and mixes up how each page is formed in a delightfully fun way. Unlike the previous two stories, Luke makes use of all three primary colours - and just like the previous two stories, it's done with style. Blue is the background, yellow is our heroes, and red is for the henchmen.

The lettering throughout by Jonathan Stevenson is tidy. It looks smart and is easy to read. There's one change of font in one of the stories where the top half is slightly older, tapering off towards the bottom of the letters in a classic evil-speaking font style, which is a subtle but noticeable change - exactly how it should be.

Second Chances, then, is a good follow-up to Establishing Shot. I did miss the B side, but that doesn't take away any enjoyment from this one. Three very different stories where Will gets to flex his writing ability to entertain with short, punchy stories of varying genres whilst working with talented artists. The colour choices are wonderful. It's minimalist but used to great effect that elevates each art style in different ways. I love that all three were different storywise, art, and colouring-wise, making each unique.

If there's going to be a third, then I'm going to need that in my collection! Will is brilliant at creating these short, punchy stories and finding artists to work with that produce greatness. You can get yourself a copy of Second Chances at Will's Gumroad store, and at £5, you're getting a short collection of comics that will leave you hoping for a third collection. And if you haven't read Establishing Shot then I implore you to do so - it's available on Will's Gumroad store too, just buy them both and enjoy a superb collection of short comics.

Rating: 4.5/5

Will O'Mullane (w), Marco Perugini, Fabian Lelay, Luke Balmer-Kemp (a), J.R. Harris (c), Jonathan Stevenson (l) - gumroad.com