The Gist:
Noel Clarke hits the ground running with The Troop’s as more ‘gifted’ individuals are found and we start to find out some secrets about certain members of the cast.
The Review:
The second issue of Noel Clarke’s ‘X-men for grown ups’ makes it clear that there isn’t likely to be much in the way of ‘filler’ issues.
Issue 2 opens with some ‘previously on’ narration that is welcome as it finally gives us the name of the guy who’s been rescuing the various super powered members of the cast. Turns out he’s an ‘enigmatic billionaire’ called Edward (if this is in the first issue, I simply cannot see it).
With Philip starting to feel cooped up in the luxurious safety of Edward’s home, he starts becoming increasingly curious about the contents of Edward’s ‘quiet room’ that no one else is allowed into. Meanwhile, new powered members of the cast are introduced.
As with the previous issue, the action fluidly swings between Edward’s efforts to locate and rescue powered individuals and the plights of powered individuals as they’re forced out of their lives. The story remains intriguing and the artwork continues to be excellent. I genuinely can’t wait to see where things are going. In particular, the reveal at the end of the issue casts Edward’s actions, especially his relationship with Terra, in a potentially darker light.
That being said, the swift pace of the plot isn’t all positive. Stephanie/Terra was the first person Edward managed to save and there was a long gap before they managed to save Philip and Janette. One issue later and they’re saving new people with seeming ease. While it gets dangerous, the ease with which Edward teleports the group out of danger (including two new members) makes you wonder why he’s had so much trouble saving people in the past. This, and a few other minor things, might have come across a bit less jarring with a slightly slower pace.
The Verdict:
A generally solid second issue with a few pacing problems; if future issues can maintain this type of quality, we can expect ‘The Troop’ to go the distance.
Publisher: Titan Comics
Published: Jan 12
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