Standstill #2 // Review
Ryker’s looking particularly stylish as he enters a tiny establishment in Pakistan. He’s clearly got money and they’re clearly interested in talking to him. He is not ignorant to the fact that they're all contract killers. However, they're kind of ignorant to the nature of what he is. And they're about to find out in Standstill #2. Writer Lee Loughridge continues to march forward with something of a twisted switch on a James Bond-like anti-hero. The story is once again brought to page and panel by Andrew Robinson. Having established the premise of the previous issue, Loughridge and company dive right into the possibilities within their second outing.
Ryker’s asking them about their work. He’s enquiring because he’s interested in hiring them. Perfectly normal for them to be offered a contract to kill someone...they ARE hired killers after all. Of course...things get a little weird when he tells them that he’s offering them really good money to kill HIM. That’s when things continue to get ugly. Of course, there’s going to be kind of a big multiple homicide that’s going to be a bit difficult for the local authorities to work out. Meanwhile, Kate and Colin are on the trail of the guy, who happens to be using some pretty dangerous tech.
Loughridge is diving into the deeper end of matters. The origin of the character continues to develop. And there's quite a lot that's going on there. However, the heart of the story really is Ryker approaching these killers in Pakistan. There is plenty of dark humor and how the antihero goes about killing the killers. It's kind of fun to watch because you know that the people he's killing are responsible for quite a lot of death themselves. It’s fun to see the most deadly people on the planet completely out of their element as they are gradually picked-off in deliciously sadistic ways.
Robinson has a very clean sense of execution. Everything is exaggerated in a way that is still firmly grounded in reality. The emotionality of what's being brought to the page emphasized in ways that keep the reality of the situation grounded firmly in a raw sense of menace that makes it all so entertaining. The nature of.Ryker’s power might normally land itself too kind of confusing delivery of action to the page. However, Robinson does a really good job of making it clear and fun at the same time without rendering things in a way that would be tedious. The aspect ratio of the issue is really, really stylish as well…Robinson’s going for a widescreen sort of an effect that feels very cinematic with the occasional bit of flair. At one point Ryker’s driving through the night in Karachi in a stylish convertible…sound effects are reflected in the window and on the hood of the car. Very cool stuff.
The progression of Ryker’s encounters increases in intensity from the first issue to the second issue. His first major encounter involved tough US outlaw bikers. The second involves dangerous contract killers. One can imagine where things are going in the third issue as the authorities look to close on him with their own tech. It could be interesting to see where things are going. Loughridge seems to have a clean and clear sense of escalation about things that could be fun as the series progresses.
Grade: A
