S.W.O.R.D.#2 is Ewing and Schiti at their best, showcasing epic battles and a narrative that respects the history of what came before it. Read Full Review

Overall, I was impressed with how S.W.O.R.D. #2 turned out. I feared for things losing appeal being thrown into a tie-in in the second issue, but this creative issue is doing what they can to make this story their own. Read Full Review

S.W.O.R.D. #2 manages to negotiate the awkward position of having to be a Marvel line-wide tie in issue having only debuted one issue earlier by balancing a story that's relevant to the KING IN BLACK storyline as well as advancing the overall books separate narrative and character advancement. Read Full Review

S.W.O.R.D. #2 feels a bit like a distraction from the main show but the team makes it work. Along with strong visuals, the story overall helps build what's coming by focusing on a few characters who clearly will shake things up in upcoming issues. They make the best with what they've got and overall, it doesn't completely derail the series too much. While I'd have liked to see it continue with the seeds laid by the first issue, S.W.O.R.D. #2 does a solid job of laying even more for machinations yet to come. Read Full Review

Krakoa gets gooey in a tie-in that plays with a lot more than just the King In Black. Read Full Review

Overall like the previous issue this one was a fantastic read. If you want to not be a little lost when reading this issue, then I recommend Reading the first few issue of the ‘King in Black’ event first. That being said you can still get into this story and fully enjoy reading it without reading the event first. For a tie-in issue this was an action packed thrill ride that is thoroughly exciting and entertaining. Read Full Review

Al Ewing clearly has ideas for making his X-Men comic stand out, and he delivers well on those ideas in this second issue. Read Full Review

When all is said and done, S.W.O.R.D. #2 is a strong start to this chapter of the King in Black event. It sets several gears in motion and feels like it may be putting pieces into place for its own larger storylines, as well as being a piece of a big crossover event. Read Full Review

Al Ewing and Valerio Schiti deliver interesting characters and deliver on the 'King in Black' plot without making the reader feel like they're missing part of the story. The humor is nicely balanced, allowing for the story to keep its stakes without feeling overly grim. The artwork by Schiti and Marte Gracia is some of the best you'll find in a superhero book. If issue three can better connect the stories of the first two chapters, the series will feel like a more coherent whole. Read Full Review

The children of the atom take their hardest swing at the god of symbiotes. Will it be enough, or will Abigail Brand have to adopt more extreme measures.  Read Full Review

I said it last issue and Ill say it again, this type of book may simply have too many moving pieces for Ewing to handle. Read Full Review

Watching how Abigail treats her team sets a tone that is unlike anything else currently being published in the X-men titles. Read Full Review

It lacks the series debut's ambition, but there are enough fun beats here to make it a worthwhile read, and Valerio Schiti and Marte Gracia make it a lush and gorgeous book. Read Full Review

My favorite Marvel title!

I wish this wasn't a tie-in, but it was still very good.

S.W.O.R.D.
Vol. 2, Issue: 2
“In the Dark”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Al Ewing @al_ewing
Artist: Valerio Schiti @valerio_schiti
Colors: Marte Gracia @martegraciacolor
Letters Ariana Maher
Cover: Valerio Schiti & Marte Gracia

Knull has taken the Earth. With all communication between the Peak and Krakoa cut off, Commander Brand organizes a rescue mission. Random, Frenzy, Cortez and Paibok arrive and find themselves in the midst of a war zone. A power boost from Cortez gives Sunfire the upper hand in eradicating the attacking symbiotic dragons. However, their celebration of victory is cut short as symbiotic Cable emerges through a Krakoan gateway. Meanwhile, acting under secret orders from Brand, Mentallo arrives to secure the safety of the Five.

I just know that I’m going to love this series. The artwork is perfect and the ensemble of characters is outstanding. Keep rolling out the D listers for me, please! I loved when Random started appearing as a background character years ago, and now that he actually gets lines I’m geeked out. All I need now is some Maggot or Spat & Grovel! But I would absolutely lose my mind if the secretive security director is revealed as Cable prime!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
Follow: @the_comic_book_club on Instagram for more reviews! more

Great characterization of Brand, I just don't buy Magneto being played by Cortez again.

Strange to have your second issue a tie-in to something else. Then even stranger not to make clear that it was tying into something else (actually, I read it ties in, but I don’t even know what it ties into). There was no explanation of where the problem came from or how we went from the end of issue 1 to this.