#second sight publishing

The Last Days of Us: Forsaken #1 (2022)

Dark Horse will publish ‘Shook! A Black Horror Anthology’

On this episode of Hellions Talks, Kevin @maskedlibrary sits down once more with comic book writer Peter Breau.

On today’s show Kevin sits down once more with comic book writer Peter Breau. Kevin just bought the first issue of These Damn Kids. We discuss comic publishing and all of the hurdles over the last two years. Peter talks about his upcoming projects and so much more. Peter hails from Saint John, New Brunswick and we discuss some of the differences between being a geek in the United States or…

Menagerie #1 Second Sight Publishing 2021 Created & Written by Ramón Govea Illustrated by David Monge Bautista Coloured by Sean Lee Lettered by Toben Racicot    When a research outpost on the edge of the galaxy is captured, a team of lethal Space Operators heeds the call to rescue the who's who of civilian scientists and researchers.  But personal secrets and unexpected agendas bubble to the surface and a mutiny sends the rescue mission lightyears off course... to a new and unusual planet with unusual rules.    I am a huge fan of Second Sight Publishing and it is books like this one that shows exactly why.  This is so well put together and just incredibly executed that it is a joy to read.  After this I definitely want to know what is going to happen next and Ramón really manages to flesh these characters out so that we can empathise, relate and find those that we actually like and care about in such a short amount of time.  It is impressive to see something like this happen in such a strong way.  I will say that the way we learn of the mission would have benefitted from a first page breakdown but we still understand what the team is doing there and what the end goal is.    I like the way that we see this being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is exceedingly well rendered.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a phenomenal job in bringing out their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more we understand and the more we want to see what’s going to happen next.    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge and grow we see how these layers open up avenues to be explored.  Seeing the scientists and their situation, what happens on the ship waiting for the team, these moments and situations add so much depth, complexity and dimension to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved extremely well.    I am completely and utterly impressed with the quality of the interiors here.  The linework is clean, crisp and strong plus with the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail we see within the work is extraordinary.  That we see backgrounds being utilised to enhance and expand the moments, they also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  This goes hand-in-hand with the creativity and imagination that we see and the armour and architecture that we see really brings that science fiction aspect to life exceptionally well.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a sensational eye for how colour works and how to maximise its effects. ​    There is something about this that really manages to capture the readers’ attention, imagination and creativity by combining those classic science fiction elements with stranded, held captive, scientists and an armed team, or force, coming to rescue them and nothing goes according to plan.  It’s not exactly predictable but it does come across as comfortable and that goes a long way in my book.  The writing is solid and the characterisation is phenomenal and the interiors here are pretty brilliantly rendered and it makes this as fun and entertaining as it is.

The Book of Lyaxia #3 Second Sight Publishing 2021 Created & Written by Aron Pohara Pencilled by Andy Baquerizo Inked by Tsubasa Yozora Coloured by Sean Forney & Jesse Heagy Lettered by Francisco Zamora    Chronos and Deimos go their separate ways after the attempted coup. Deimos and Adonis head to Lion's den, the heart of Lhander empire, while Chronos and Ares come face to face with a figure from the twin's past. And that meeting could change the realm forever!    I am very much enjoying this series.  I will say one thing that bugged me, when Deimos gets out of bed we should’ve seen him full frontal instead of that obvious blacking out of that region which makes no sense given the lighting sources.  It’s 2021 so get over hiding the penis. I like Deimos and his boyfriend trying to walk around Lhander and talk while heading over to see the barracks.  In the time we see the two of them together we see such an interesting dynamic occur between them and honestly I think it really struck a much stronger chord within me than I was prepared for.     The way this book reads is utterly marvellous it has this incredible rhythm to it.  I’m super impressed with the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development we see through the way that the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encountered is magnificently rendered.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we’re drawn into this in some truly wondrous ways.    I greatly appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I love the avenues that we see here which have opened up and how they are being explored with all the different characters that we see throughout the book.  How all of this adds depth, dimension and complexity to the story and makes this so much more intriguing.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is immaculately achieved.      The interiors here are pretty sensational, except that moment when the penis is blacked out.  The linework is exceptional and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to showcase the attention to detail we see throughout the book is pretty stunning work.  I do wish we’d see more backgrounds being utilised however, but then the creativity and imagination we see throughout almost makes up for that.  The way we see the composition of the panels bringing out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is beautifully rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a remarkable eye for storytelling.  The colour work is fabulous.  The way we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a great understanding of how colour works and how to maximise its effects.  I love seeing how colour can help define the body and how it appears on the clothing. ​    I love this world and how the gods are utilised, and from many different pantheons mind you.  That we see them as young adults and that they have such power at their command is interesting to me.  It is a fresh take on the gods of old and some of whom are actually still worshipped today and it’s got that excitement to it that is undeniable.  This has some intelligent writing and smart characterisation and is wrapped up in these utterly delightful interiors that makes this come to life beautifully.

Blowtorch #2 Second Sight Publishing 2021 Created & Plot by Alfred Paige Plot & Written by Alex De-Gruchy Illustrated by Montos Lettered by Saida Temofonte    After a messy assassination gets Avery’s attention, he calls in Blowtorch to track down the man responsible. Following information that leads him to a Person known as The Middleman. Blowtorch along with Pinpoint and Infrared head out to answers. But those answers will not be what they are looking for.    There is a lot of dialogue in this issue and you really have to read it and pay attention to what’s being said.  This almost verges on the too much dialogue but in the end it really is worth it to tell this story like it needs to be told.  I am really impressed with this fledgling publishing house and the quality of books they’ve been putting out.  These are intelligently written and gorgeously illustrated books and in this case it also has this fresh, new take on superheroes and a superhero team.  I am thrilled with the opportunity to get to know this character further and learn what makes him tick and how he uses his abilities.  I’m also interested in seeing more about the dynamic with Blowtorch and his teammates.    I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how th reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter is rather magnificent to see.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story along with the twists & turns along the way we’re caught up in this story in some marvellous ways.    I appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen depending on what avenues are opened up and then explored.  The layers contain the characterisation, their assignment and Gareth and Michael with their little drama.  Whether they work with the main arc or simply swirl around it they add this fantastic depth and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is perfectly achieved.    The interiors here are bloody mindbogglingly brilliant to see.  The linework is absolutely brilliant and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality in the detail work is astounding work.  We see a fair amount of backgrounds being utilised but we could always see more since when we do see them they enhance the moments and work within the composition of the panels to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation fo the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.  Since this is in black & white with shades of gray it really evokes some beautiful feelings and emotions. ​    Nothing about this book goes the way that I thought it would which is superb as it means that the guys are keeping me on my toes.  I love that this issue will lead right into the next one which is great and makes me sad since I now have to wait to see what happens next.  I really like how we see action in this book and the results of the affects as well.  This is so intelligently written and mindbogglingly brilliantly illustrated that brings us into these characters world with aplomb.  

Duplicant #2 Second Sight Publishing 2021 Written by Karla Nappi Illustrated by Marianna Strychowska Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual    Matt Travers is haunted by the sudden death of Duplicant organ recipient Pamela Wilton. His research into whether his tech caused Pamela's death points to the possibility of a traitor in their midst, and Matt learns the Duplicant program has been taking advantage of already vulnerable people.    This is the issue I have been waiting for.  I was so impressed with the first issue that I was eagerly awaiting the second to see if it lived up to the first and not only does it live up to it but most assuredly surpasses my expectations.  Science fiction can be a joyous playground to play in and then when you throw a mystery into the mix adding drama and intrigue and you’ve got a story that needs to be paid attention to as its read.  Cerebral storytelling that is set in a science fiction universe is no mean feat and yet Karla seems to have done such a marvellous job making it seem to darn easy.  I am very much enjoying the intricacies of the way that this is being told.    I am loving the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter is magnificently laid down before us.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story along with some twists & turns along the way we are drawn into this and engaged in some truly spectacular ways.    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen depending on the avenues that open up or the ones that are explored is mind numbing.  These layers contain some fabulous characterisation and are where we see them find avenues they need to explore and whether they work with the main arc or simply swirl around what we get is added depth and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably rendered.    The interiors here are absolutely amazing.  The linework is crisp, clean and tight and with the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of detail work is truly astonishing to see.  That we see backgrounds as we do is phenomenal in how they enhance the moments but how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is fantastic to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a dynamic eye for storytelling.  The creativity and imagination on display leaves me chuffed to bits and seeing the section of skin, the nanobots and such is mindbogglingly brilliant to see.  The colour work is fabulous!  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a sensational eye for colour and how it can and should work to its maximum effects.    This really is a brilliant series and one that deals with the aftereffects of the pandemic and doesn’t really delve into the cause of it and I’m okay with that for now.  At some point the cause is going to have to play a role in the cure for it and when that time comes it’ll be the right time and until then i’m all for how we see the dynamics between these characters play out.   ​    With some incredible writing and characterisation dealing with a diverse group of people wrapped up in some of today’s strongest interiors this is going to blow your mind and you’ll love every moment it does just that.