Life in a dystopia might be okay under the right circumstances. Individual satisfaction might depend on who you are. A person who found herself in the underground might be forced to get a job and bronco socially acceptable for a little while, but what happens when the Party kidnaps her partner, and she can’t turn to her old subversive friends for help? This is the state of things for Avory as SFSX enters its second issue. An intriguing story with witty dialogue by Tina Horn is brought to the page with subtle interpersonal nuance by artist Michael Dowling. The overall plot is simple, with some nagging, little problematic elements that tug at the corners of believability. Still, the second issue continues a fun exploration into the nature of control and subversion in modern society. 

Having lost her companion to agents of The Party, Avery could do little else but return to her friends. The old crew is a group of sex workers who have managed to find a way to operate an illicit club underneath the oppress radar of the morally oppressive regime. Given her abandonment of them, They are reluctant to help her out with her current problems, and she is forced to look elsewhere for help.

Horn’s characterization of Avery and her former allies is sharp and thoughtful. The dialogue comes across with a very naturalistic feeling to it, which is a hell of an accomplishment given how much backstory she’s establishing. The sophistication of relations between Avery and her supporting cast is really impressive, marred as it is by the usual sorts of snags that dystopian fiction tends to run into. There’s a real challenge with believability in any morally oppressive dystopian government taboo hold in a nation that is so identified by the ideals of its own freedom. As evidenced by recent politics, dystopian totalitarianism CAN happen here. Still, in order to make it believable in this kind of story, the plot needs to really focus on selling the basic premise. This is a relatively minor issue, given the more social focus of Horn’s script. Avery is a very likable character, and her plight is compelling.

This script would be very, very difficult to carry off effectively without Dowling’s talent for sculpting human drama on the page. There’s a tremendous amount of dialogue. All of the talking heads and mundane settings would feel very flat without Dowlings’s gift for bringing subtle changes in mood across with a powerful impact that never feels forced or exaggerated.

As Avery’s life continues to crumble, she’s lost in an arduous life path that’s going to be more and more difficult to finesse. Above all else, SFSX is a survival story that has the potential to be quite inspirational and uplifting if everything gets off the ground right in the first few issues. Things seem to be heading in the right direction with this second issue, which is thoroughly engaging from beginning to end.

Grade: B+