The Seasons vol. 2

The circus has come to town and snared everyone in its diabolical grasp.  Everyone except Spring Seasons (and her gloomy sister Winter) who sees the clowns running it for the malevolent spirits they are.  Unfortunately for her, they’re busy offering up everyone the chance to get lost in their heart’s desires by reflecting them in magical handmirrors, so Spring is going to have to save everyone with just her pet goldfish Gilbert backing her up.  It’s not what she planned on doing today, but by applesauce she’s going to see it through because that’s how her parents raised her!  Whatever happened to those two, anyway…

Two volumes in and the chaotic fun of this series remains strong.  Writer Rick Remender keeps the tension high by throwing all sorts of new complications and dangers for Spring to face, but manages to keep them entertaining while also throwing in some well-timed twists at the right moments.  He also displays his talent for writing impressively kinetic and flowing action scenes throughout as vol. 2 feels like one big chase scene that never wears out its welcome.

That’s also due to what’s looking like career-best art from Paul Azaceta.  His dazzling work in the first volume is repeated again here, only now with more surrealism and clowns.  It’s alternately whimsical and frightening, full of brightly-orchestrated chaos, and never lacking in momentum.  There is the feeling that all of this effort from the creators is to prop up a bog standard story about the value of family, honest work, and just saying NO to screentime addiction.  However, if you’re going to tell that kind of story, this is how to do it and make the reader want to come back for more.