A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance vol. 2

Sonny is a former insurance investigator who came across an assassination contract on the Dark Web for the murder of a young boy, Xavier, and his mother.  Due to his intervention, only Xavier’s mom wound up dying and now he and the boy are living off the grid in a commune in rural British Columbia.  Life for them may not be fancy, but it’s sustainable and not without its own rewards.  Unfortunately for Sonny and Xavier, they can’t ever leave or else the people who are after them will finally be able to find them.  This is particularly difficult for Sonny, whose mother was in ill health the last time he saw her.  Then again, the people who are after the two are very powerful, so it’s entirely possible they’ll be found even if they do stay put.

“Vengeance’s” first volume represented a stripped-down version of writer Rick Remender’s florid, action-packed style.  While the action was plentiful, the dialogue was minimalistic, letting artist Andre Lima Araujo’s art do a lot of the talking.  It worked really well there and that remains true in this concluding volume.  I don’t want to spoil any of the twists it takes, though I will say that Remender is definitely playing with the expectations anyone who has read his previous comics would have about where things are going to go.  In a way that I found to be very entertaining.

It’s also worth mentioning that there’s some ambiguity regarding the title of this series as to whether or not it’s actually talking about anything within the series itself.  While there is some revenge in the story, specifically in regards to the amalgamated Trump/Epstein villain at the heart of it, you also get the feeling that Remender and Araujo could be working out their own issues with those real-life characters.  In a thoroughly satisfying way, I’ll add.  While it may be the most low-key of the comics I’ve read from Remender, it’s the best short form work I’ve read from him thanks to his restrained approach and Araujo’s immersive and compelling art.