BLACK SIGHT #2 by Stephanie Phillips and Conor Boyle (Comixology Originals) review

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the comic book review blog to the ODPH Podcast!

For this entry, we’re diving further into the mystery surrounding a fantastic new series on Comixology Originals! Last we saw Alex Greer, the line between reality and fantasy was severely blurred. Now posed with a murder charge, Alex needs to survive long enough to uncover a dark truth. Is she ready for what happens next?

BLACK SIGHT #2 by STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, Conor Boyle and Tom Napolitano poses that question as the mystery behind her situation begins to peel back some layers. Let’s take a closer look at how things shape up now.

***BLACK SIGHT #2 by Stephanie Phillips, Conor Boyle and Tom Napolitano (credit: Comixology Originals – Cover: Dave Johnson)***

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Alex Greer is an American exploring Amsterdam in 1964. After leaving a club with a stranger, the next morning Alex finds herself waking up to a dead woman. Being taken away by the authorities , communication issues are halting her from proving her innocence. This is much to the liking of someone with a vested interest.

This issue begins with a man in a cell. He says his name is “John”. The orderlies attending to him are telling him his name is “Gary”. After a struggle, “John” is subdued. He is forced to endure electro-shock treatment until he says his name is “Gary”.

Meanwhile, Alex is being examined before being processed in a mental institution. Readers witness the new surroundings for Alex as a bleak place of hope. A fellow resident leaves her with haunting words of advice before the final act begins. Once that starts, the spiral into madness takes a great hold. The last image of this story will leave readers with no doubt Alex’s nightmare is only just beginning.

Phillips dives into the terrifying truth of what Alex is about to endure. The “John” portion of the issue exposes the inhumane way of breaking down the patients in the mental hospital. It is a cold, hard truth to the greater mystery Alex is now involved with. Phillips sets this up with no punches pulled, making a strong statement right off the bat.

Once Alex enters the story here, the pace is slowed down to let the mood encompass the reader. Each action Alex takes is given enough time to slowly build for a greater moment later. This gives a contrast to the remainder of “John”’s story, which speeds up enough to set the final act in motion. Once the story swings back to Alex, it doesn’t slow down until the story’s conclusion. The stage is set for both Alex and “John”s key players to cross paths soon which will make for quite the memorable encounter down the road.

Boyle’s vision of events mirror the hellish landscape of Alex’s tortuous saga. The cruel treatment of “John” connects with readers about how unforgiving the plans for him and Alex are. The anxiousness and uncertainty of Alex pops off the pages with Boyle leaving nothing held back.

The interactions with fellow residents vary but unite under the sense of small hope things will be alright. That feeling carries through until the final act. Boyle’s art constructs the big surprise heading into an lasting final image to close this chapter out with.

FINAL GRADE: 8.5 OUT OF 10

The world of Alex Greer descends further into chaos with an impactful chapter. Fear and deception loom overhead with Phillips’ superb writing being complimented by Boyle and Napolitano’s moving visuals and lettering. Readers will be locked in from the opening page and won’t want the story to end.

Black Sight is a series that needs to be in your collection every time it drops!

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