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Image Comics and a host of up-and-coming talents unleash Second Chances, the only emergency hotline service that can offer you a brand-new life.
From the impressionistic cover to the monochrome print, Second Chances #1 oozes noir at a first glance — even before it starts telling its macabre story. Touted by its author Ricky Mammone as “John Wick punching through an existential French Wave fever dream,” artist Max Bartolini and letterer D.C. Hopkins have brought his writing to life in a heady neo-gothic vision of a criminal underworld ripe with murder, mayhem, and mystery.
Second Chances #1 is bookended by the protagonist, Leblanc, receiving a pair of ill-fated phone calls. Paul, a client, calls to entrust Leblanc with his final words to his daughter Emma. Leblanc, refusing to believe Paul is doomed, rushes to help him — and unwittingly folds himself into a chaotic criminal plot. Leblanc thoughtfully takes time out of his own narrative to explain the nature of his business: clients are entitled to the professional staging of their death, passage away from the life they knew, and the opportunity to start over again. Hence the name, “Second Chances.” From there, Emma takes the reigns of the plot. Things go from bad, to worse, to looking calm before the plot inevitably ratchets up its suspense.
Mammone has interwoven the storylines together in a way that feels effortless, whilst also giving the final page massive pay-off as a cliffhanger. His allusive style of storytelling, filled with obscure references to Leblanc’s past, feels naturalistic and adds to the mysterious thrall of Second Chances. So many plot-threads and troublesome questions are subtly introduced, and their lack of resolution is a tantalizing invitation to step deeper into the world that he has created. The core concept of a one-man self-disappearing service is so strong, and it is a little disappointing that it’s explored so little in the first issue — although this will almost definitely be rectified in future instalments.
To match the story’s novel concept, Bertolini has formulated a unique art style that suits the urban gothic flavor of Second Chances. The total lack of color in the artwork is the most obvious and distinguishing feature, but the intricately detailed individual panels and flair for dramatic transitions are also essential for how evocatively and consistently the noir ambience permeates every level of the piece. There are varying degrees of shading used in different panels, giving a depth of expression that feels unusual. As the issue frequently bounces between line art and hyper realistic panels, it even becomes unnerving.
In this comic, Bertolini appears to have found a bold and innovative way to integrate his signature impressionistic style with his more typical comic art. Although their fusion is not perfect, and in some places, the contrast between the two can even feel a little jarring, this mixing of textures feels so unique and ambitious that any disharmony is easy to overlook. Hopkins’ lettering is solid throughout and, in a way, offers a kind of bridge to normality for more traditional comic readers. Showing his high levels of taste and execution, Hopkins manages to capture some great nuance in his letters without overwhelming the reader with another overly-complex element amongst the many this comic is already juggling.
Second Chances #1 is seductive, high octane, and utterly memorable — both in its story and style of expression. There is a miniscule, lingering worry that the scope of the narrative won’t be able to live up to the ambitious aesthetic and design choices, and that style might eclipse the substance that Second Chances #1 teases so brilliantly. This worry arises mostly from the fact that, if it can maintain this stunningly high standard throughout its run, Second Chances could be a truly iconic work, revitalizing noir comics with its irresistibly imaginative nature.
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