Well, that's more like it. In the second issue of Team Achilles, Wright's script isn't having to fight so hard against cluttered artwork and garish color, and the result is a much stronger read. There are still storytelling flaws in the artwork, and the multiple colorists make for some pages that are better than others, but the wit and intelligence of Wright's script comes through much clearer in this issue. In addition, we get an introduction to the rest of the characters this issue, and it seems that we have a pretty interesting cast to fill out the book. I'm still not 100% sold, but the second issue gives me a lot more hope for this title (and the Eye of the Storm imprint) than I had last month.
Now that the basic structure of the story has been established (sort of Die Hard in the United Nations building, actually), this issue gives Wright room to start introducing the rest of the characters and bringing them in. In just a few panels each, we get plenty of basic characterization for the team, showing that Wright has a good grasp of how to handle military team comics like this one. We don't need to know each character intimately, but given how similar they all will appear in their uniforms, we need to associate their names with a basic personality trait. Thanks to this issue, I have a feel for Pinckney, Golovin, Hamalainen and Weiss. Their introductions are handled with style and a sense of humor as well.
Wright's dialogue is reminiscent in this issue of the funny and cynical tone that Ellis brought to his imprint-defining Wildstorm work. It shows up throughout, in the way that Santini tells Pinckney how to find Golovin, in the back-and-forth between Hamalainen and Weiss and especially in way that this team goes about their business. In some regards, I find the characters a little too certain of their bad-ass nature, but at the same time, that sort of utter overconfidence is very likable in protagonists. I also thought that Wright was clever to use a Midnighter quote to essentially position Stormwatch as the "anti-Authority," although that does set the bar pretty high for expectations.
My main complaint in the previous issue was about the artwork, and it continues to be my main complaint here. In fairness, I expect that when Cox is the full-time colorist, the book will look sharper and clearer throughout, but there were still times in this issue when the action wasn't entirely clear. However, Portacio's more detailed and finished style is certainly attractive at times, such as when we see Pinckney and Golovin entering the central sorting warehouse or taking out the terrorists' air support. I could still wish for a little more distinction between characters as far as Portacio is concerned, but as long as Wright continues to identify them so well in the script, it's more of a minor annoyance than a catastrophic storytelling failure.
After the disappointing first issue, I was ready to give up on Stormwatch: Team Achilles, but a couple minor changes and a few new and interesting characters makes this second issue far more interesting. I'm left with little doubt that the ideas and the writing behind the book are solid, I'm just hoping that the art will continue to improve as time goes on.
