I was blown away by the first issue of Defiance, with it's mixture of high-tech and fantasy and stunning computer-aided/painted artwork. The second issue isn't quite as strong, suffering from a somewhat slowly developing and fairly complex plot, but it has the same amount of beauty to it, and there's still a lot of atmosphere in the settings of the story. It's clear that there are some big mysteries being set up, and this issue gives us a few new tidbits on the various characters, as well as a little more insight into the central plot against Hell's lord Satan. A little more action and clearer development would have been appreciated, but there's still a lot to like.
The most attractive aspect of Defiance, for me, is the unusual and attractive artwork. Kang and Suh remind me of the work of Jay Anacleto or Greg Horn, with a clearly artificial look but one that is nevertheless beautiful and detailed. In addition, the concepts which these art are put into service for are quite suited to this otherworldly, exotic look. The scenes of Cleo shifting into a more demonic form are evocative and beautiful, even as they are creepy. And the settings of Syrus's domain have a grandiose and horrible style that really sets the scene for the villain and his personality.
Which isn't to say that I didn't find plenty to like in the writing. Barre gives Syrus a voice that is wicked and harsh, and the scene of him "wearing" the mayor to speak to him clearly illustrates the corrupting, evil influence that he represents. In addition, Ivan's very normal touchstones to reality, his mantra about scrambled eggs or his reflections on the pain of Hell, establish him quite clearly as the most normal character of the bunch. I also really enjoyed the bickering couple relationship between Lym and Cleo.
On the other hand, I did find myself wishing for a bit more of the action storytelling that was evident in the first issue. Save one explosive scene in the beginning, this issue is relatively light on action. It also features a lot of hints and teases, but not a lot of solid information about our characters or the message that makes up part of the subtitle of the series. Some of the scenes, deliberately spooky, are also a little obscure and hard to read for the same reason, as there's more of a focus on atmosphere than storytelling.
Overall, though, Defiance remains a strong addition to Image's lineup of new series. It's got very distinctive artwork, a compelling voice and some good ideas backed up by solid imagery.
