IX Generation #2

In the future there is no more natural death, no needs unfilled and everything you could ever want is yours... as long as you're one of the ones chosen to live in this new Utopia and you're willing to subjugate yourself to these new self-proclaimed gods with "IX"s emblazoned on them. Do the ends truly justify the means? Is a utopia built on genocide worth the price? Aphrodite, Velocity, Hades, and the other Nines establish fiefdoms in this new world and attempt to rule.

Their internal clashes have escalated, but they are forced to put that aside as they face off against the relentless hordes of the Darkness. The sins of the past have come to claim those who would pretend to be Gods. The cybernetic future established in APHRODITE IX and CYBER FORCE finally comes face-to-face with the supernatural ARTIFACTS side of the Top Cow universe.

Issue 2 continues from last issue, with Aphrodite attempting to figure out just what the Darkness is, while contending with the various attentions of her siblings. If issue 1 was the full action opening, this is more subdued, as we get to learn her world and we focus on some of the big themes of the series.

Transhumanism, the nature of self, are clones really people? These things are all mentioned, without any real exposition dump, which is refreshing. Though this is a very 'expositioniy' (real word, honest) it never feels forced, being delivered through character development and actions, as we briefly flash back to the past to see how the events of the book were put in play.

The artwork continues to be a pretty high standard, if leaning on the cheesecake at time. The anime influenced style works wonders in making the whole word seem fresh and different to what has come before.

In the end, it's exactly what I wanted when reviewing issue 1. Yes, it's less action packed than last issue, but it fills that space with much needed character building. If the next issue builds on this, the entire series will end brilliantly.

Cover image courtesy of Top Cow.

You can buy Generation IX via comixology, or your local comic retailer.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.