Welcome back for an all new Parlay Points, the complementary blog to the ODPH podcast! For this edition, I’m talking the latest issue of Rangers Of The Divide by Megan Huang! If you’re not familiar with Huang’s work, she has illustrated “Jia and the Nian Monster” & was the colorist on “Jenny Zero” for Dark Horse Comics. She has also done work for IDW & Oni Press amongst other publishers.
“Rangers Of The Divide” is her latest project. It debuted in May of 2021. Rangers Of The Divide is a sci-fi/fantasy epic (written & illustrated by Huang) that tells the story of a rookie class of rangers, lead by a grizzled leader & the unknown challenges that face them being the only ones left to keep peace. Let’s take a deeper dive into issue #2 (which is released June 16th).
Credit: Megan Huang/ Dark Horse Comics
Right out the gate, we get a recap front page. Long time readers of this blog know I am a HUGE fan of this. You’re immediately caught up with the first issue’s events without tipping off the reader too much of where the team is going next.
From there, readers quickly see how the team is meshing (or lack there of) with their commander. Early impressions reminded me of when Cable took over the New Mutants & started to mold them into X-Force. Not a bad thing by any means & not as super unapproachable. A prime example of this is the Commander’s interaction & feedback with a young cadet about her last performance. As much as he’s tough on the cadets, he’s really trying to make them better. It seems as the commander’s been put in this position before & is trying to improve on something from his past.
The rest of the story is a great exploration of this new world. There are some fun moments where you start getting an idea of personalities from the cadets.I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this as the series progresses. As of this reading, the breakout cadets are Frost and Brandt. Both had featured segments in this issue for different reasons. Readers get a pretty straight-forward plot here with a really interesting cliffhanger to take us into issue 3 (due July 14th).
The true MVP of this issue is Huang’s art. From the first page turn, the issue is vibrant & pops with energetic art. When you hear “sci-fi” or “fantasy” in a description of a book, you have certain expectations to see. Huang hits that out of the park. The creatures have a unique look to them. The world we’re exploring here jumps off the page. No better examples than pages 7, 13 & 30. Huang’s full panel pages will have your attention for a long take Even the cadet uniforms stand out & have an alien sleek to them that gives the readers the total sci-fi vibe.
Overall, Rangers Of The Divide #2 was a solid issue. The story is pretty even paced. Readers get taken on a fun world exploring trip. Hopefully, as this series progresses, all the cadets get some time to stand out. That might have been the only thing I wasn’t so high on, and it’s a minor thing too. The artwork is what really makes this book stand out. Huang’s style is fresh and takes this saga to a whole other level.
If you’re a fan of fantasy & sci-fi adventures, Rangers of the Divide is definitely a book you want to check out when you at the LCS. Hit me up on Twitter & let me know your thoughts on Rangers Of The Divide,
Till next time…. Thanks for reading