It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again In Wyrd #2

There are problems, cases, too strange for US law enforcement to solve. Pitor Wyrd is the one who solves them–for a fee, of course. An unaging, invincible detective with a penchant for the strange, Wyrd is the one the government calls when things go very badly and very strange.

This issue: Wyrd is dispatched to deal with a politician endangering the international order . . . with black magic!

Second issue, second mission for seemingly immortal occult detective Pitor Wyrd. In Wyrd #2, the target is a corrupt politician that threatens to upset the world’s balance of power. Protected by a private security firm, and probably already expecting an assassin’s imminent arrival due to loose lips. Easy peasy, yeah? Oh, and he also has some occult superpowers? No sweat.

So far, Curt Pires employs a pretty formulaic approach. There’s an overpowered super baddie, Wyrd displays a set of nihilistic, self destructive qualities, and should die right away, but doesn’t, gets the jump on the super baddie, should die a bunch more times but doesn’t, and then collects his bounty and goes home. This installment is almost play-by-play identical to the previous.

The official description of Wyrd says that the limited series as an “espionage epic”. When I think of espionage, I typically think more along more subtle lines of sleuthing, wit, and nuanced strategy. The strategy that seems to get employed most here is smashmouth aggression, with occasional flashes of tactical brilliance.

I’m a little confused by the art in this second chapter. It’s abundantly clear where Antonio Fuso’s linework ends and Martoz’ picks up. The backup story is done in a visual style that looks like it’s straight from a Hunter S. Thompson book. There’s nothing wrong with the style, it’s just so jarringly different from the rest of the series, it’s hard to reconcile as part of the same story.

I was giving Wyrd at least a second pass after the first issue. There were some real flashes of brilliance in the opening salvo. After reading this installment, I’m out. I don’t see a flowing narrative that will carry this one through another two chapters for me. These seem more like mini one-shots out of a bigger story than chapters of a four issue mini. There are also a couple of exceptionally crude elements that just don’t seem necessary. I’m not feeling it.

Wyrd #2, Dark Horse Comics, released 27 February 2019. Written by Curt Pires, art by Antonio Fuso, color by Stefano Simeone, letters by Micah Myers. Backup story written by Rockwell White and Curt Pires, backup art by Martoz, backup letters by Micah Myers.



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