Satellite Sam #2

Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Howard Chaykin Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: August 7, 2013 Cover Price: $3.5 Critic Reviews: 11 User Reviews: 1
7.5Critic Rating
7.5User Rating

SEX o DEATH o LIVE TV!
NEW YORK CITY, 1951: Mike buries his father and Ginsburg buries the lede making his sales pitch. Will TV be an East Coast or West Coast medium? And in a pile of filthy photographs Mike finds one image that is really and truly shocking.

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - Richard Gray Aug 6, 2013

    There are few more perfect unions than Fraction and Chaykin, with the latter truly in his element here. From the-world weary Ginsberg to the decline of Michael in just three panels, Chaykin imbues these characters with character. Chaykin is reigned in somewhat by Fraction's own restraint, not allowing either party to let it all hang out just yet. If you can stand to be on the edge of your chosen place to sit for the foreseeable future, then Satellite Sam might just be one of the most layered and handsome new comics of this or any year. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Multiversity Comics - Vince Ostrowski Aug 9, 2013

    Few comics manage to handle mature themes with a truly mature and intellectual hand. “Satellite Sam” just might turn out to be “The Great American Comic Book” because it chooses to award our patience and intelligence in the way that only the greatest books and television shows and films do. Whether it endures as an all-time great comic remains to be seen. Some might knock the fact that the book isn't aiming to accomplish things that only a comic book can (I would argue against that, but that's a whole other editorial), but as a piece of pure storytelling? “Satellite Sam” is an exciting and engaging period piece to spend time in. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Unleash The Fanboy - Harrison Rawdin Aug 9, 2013

    Satellite Sam #2 continues this sordid affair in excellent fashion as this title develops into something that comes highly recommended. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Vine - Jen 'Miss J' Aprahamian Aug 7, 2013

    SATELLITE SAM came in strong with a unique and decidedly sensational first issue, and while the pace has slowed down a little bit for the follow-up, the drama and tension have only ramped up. There's a thick soup of venom, lust, and mutual disrespect sloshing into the world of this book, and it's almost an underdog story if you're on the side of the TV show (since the cast and producers themselves push the boundaries of "deplorable" on a regular basis!). Read it. Get hooked. Hooked like Mikey is on the sauce (I promise this book is healthier!). Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Read Comic Books - Cody Mudge Aug 6, 2013

    Satellite Samwill succeed in winning readers because of its high-profile creative team, but they will stay because of how well this series has been put together. The art is fantastic, the characters are incredibly interesting, the setting makes for a fascinating period piece, and the plot is interesting in its own right (after all, who doesn't like a little murder on live TV?). With a few more issues like this, this series could easily become one of the best new titles to debut this year. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comics: The Gathering - kanchilr1 Aug 6, 2013

    A giant problem facing Mad Men right now is the unlikable characters that inhabit the show. Satellite Sam is geared towards a different kind of exploration of the dirt in this time period. The twist on the conventions in the genre really help define this title. This comic is also in good health because it's main character is actually likable and seems to be worth spending time with. Without some of the horrible cast members repeating their lives in vicious circles, Satellite Sam may have more to say than the hit television show. Those who enjoy Mad Men should shift their focus to this incredible Image comic book. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Front Towards Gamer - PNeafsey Aug 8, 2013

    Overall though a lot of these issues are relatively minor and the main plot of Ginsberg trying to hold together his flagship show as he prepares to get the senate air wave committee to give him coast to coast air time is a pretty interesting and compelling one and a really good way to get to know all the characters we blitzed over in the previous issue. As I mentioned earlier the black and white though still troubled by coloring and backgrounds does add to the noir atmosphere and helps the world feel true and alive in a great way. This is a strong second issue and a promising start for the series, highly recommended. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Newsarama - Forrest C. Helvie Aug 8, 2013

    It was still an interesting story, but the inconsistent pacing was noticeable when compared to the first issue's more steady delivery. Read Full Review

  • 6.5
    IGN - Melissa Grey Aug 7, 2013

    Chaykin's art falls into many of the same traps that Fraction's story does. It's technically proficient (even if many of his male figures look like slightly modified clones of one another), but it doesn't demand the reader's excitement. While there is a certain pleasure in the way Chaykin's vintage style is so perfectly suited to the era at hand, one is still left with the feeling that it could be so much more. And that gets at the heart of Satellite Sam's shortcomings -- the raw material for greatness exists, but the issue feels like a missed opportunity.There's sex, death, and live television, but it's not nearly as satisfying as it sounds. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Comic Bastards - Justin Wood Aug 7, 2013

    If this review sounds negative it isn't intended to be. 'Satellite Sam' is one of my favorite indies on the shelf from one of the most consistently valuable mainstream comic writers working today, and it should be said that it's too early to call a flat-line on a mystery that has only begun to form. I may not care who killed Satellite Sam, but it's still well worth keeping dialed in. Read Full Review

  • 5.0
    Comic Book Resources - Meagan Damore Aug 9, 2013

    Fraction and Chaykin's second installment of "Satellite Sam" arrives as packed with dialogue and character moments as the first issue. Unfortunately, Fraction attempts to cram too much information into too small a space, however well-researched and thought out that information may be. With a lot of zeal and wonderful artwork, "Satellite Sam" #2 is nonetheless burdened by the weight of too many lifeless characters and off-putting dialogue. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    GreyMouser Aug 9, 2013

    . . $3.50, 20b&w pgs + frontispiece & character intro pg. Al ADs@back. B+ cover. . . This second issue really picks it up a notch, with more development, intrigue and character points from Fraction then the opening issue. Art is tighter, cleaner and less repetitive then some Chaykin projects and really shines here. While not a thrill ride, the plots begin to grow and pull me in and the characters are growing on me as well. A slow build, but good signs for a great series which will drag us though the sleaze of early era TV!

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