Spread, Vol. 2: The Children's Crusade

Spread #7-11

by Justin Jordan, Kyle Strahm (Illustrator), Felipe Sobreiro (Illustrator)

Jack and Molly struggle to save No's life as enemies new and old come at them from all sides.

Collects SPREAD #7-11.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

Justin Jordan is an American comic book writer. He is known for writing and co-creating The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Spread, Dead Body Road, Deep State, Dark Gods and Savage Things. He has also written Green Lantern: New Guardians, Superboy, Deathstroke and Team 7 for DC Comics and the relaunch of Shadowman for Valiant Entertainment.

In 2012, he was nominated for the Harvey Award for Most Promising New Talent.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

First story was a five stars one and, together with the amazing art gallery at the end of volume, raised final vote one star.

[Tani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the characters in this one a lot. The volume makes up for its lack of No by introducing some new characters, the children of the title and their professor. I did feel like the volume was a bit slim and didn't advance the story enough to be truly satisfying, but I enjoyed it regardless, and I'm looking forward to continuing with the series.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first one-shot tells the story of the preacher's origins. Sunderland was a scientist working alongside two colleagues in the Quarantine Zone. A child they stumbled upon had an immunity to the Spread. Sunderland wanted to bring the child out of the Quarantine Zone and search for a cure, but the others opted for a more nefarious plan. They dissected the child and broadcast samples outside the Zone. Sunderland cracked upon learning this. He embraced wholly the faith that was already seeded in his heart and killed his colleagues in God's name. Instead of killing him in turn, the Spread decided to mutate him into the preacher.

With No developing an infection from being stabbed by Ravello, Jack and Molly must get him medicine soon. On the way they get ambushed and captured by the Professor and his band of skilled assassin children.

Jack and the professor reach an understanding that should benefit them both. Jack agrees to help the professor retreive three of his kids that were captured in exchange for healing No.

Jack meets an old friend in Dylan Merryweather who he promptly betrays when he returns to the Professor's camp. The captured kids show they are anything but helpless when they escape on their own. Matters get complicated when the Spread rears its ugly head. Or tentacles. With Jack and the Professor, even No to some degree, fighting together for survival, Merryweather's army is decimated and the Spread is pushed back. They head toward Sanctuary.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a nice step up from volume 1.

In this volume we get a little history on why crazy on the team is...well crazy. We also get to learn about Slavers. They are what they sound like. They capture people and enslave them, mostly children, and use them to hurt or steal things. With NO out of commission this volume we get to let all the other characters shine, plus we get a bunch of kids who can slit people's throats. So there's that.

I think what worked well this volume is it slowed down the action at the start and gave us alot of world building. The world inside Spread is far more interesting than the spread disease. I also really enjoyed the interaction with our main characters and the new kids. The violence is still brutal and plenty of deaths to go around. I am interested to see where this goes and if the story can stay this good throughout the rest of the series.

A 4 out of 5.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pandemic strikes and how it is dealt with

Not having read Volume 1, I was at a bit of a disadvantage. However this tale of a pandemic attacking the human race and how some deal with it makes for an engaging story. The main characters meet, betray each other and fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world: they are well-depicted and an interesting bunch of conflicting personalities.

The artwork is quite good, colourful but lacking in detail. However, with a lot of bloodshed and death, this is worth a look – even if it’s only to decide that it’s not for you. Volume 3 awaits.

[Bert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things escalate, new people are encountered, plans get hatched, etc.

The art is still great, but the story just is lacking.

[Mike Perschon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first volume of Spread as part of a Humble Bundle of Image comics, which is a great way to try a lot of new comics. It’s also a great way to get hooked on a new series; I loved the first book of Spread, and when I saw a used copy of volume 2 at my local comic shop, I bought it without hesitation (along with a physical copy of volume 1). After reading volume 1 again, cover to cover with volume 2 in one sitting, I can say without reservation that I love this brutal, hyper violent, gory-as-hell story of survival in a world that feels like the answer to the question, “what if John Carpenter’s Thing has survived and made it to the mainland?” The violence of Spread is more cartoony than Walking Dead, though no less explicit, though volume two contains a moment of chilling horror that really shook me (though I guess vivisection always should, even if it’s in the service of saving the world). Can’t wait to track down volume 3!

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice first issue flashback to the early days of the Spread, with an isolated group of scientists in a mobile lab who come across a boy who appears to be immune to the spread. The artwork here is much stronger than regular artist Kyle Strahm. Then we move on to the continuation of the story from the previous volume. No is injured and being carted by Jack, along with Molly and Hope, the Spread-killing baby. When they come across a group of children being led by the Professor, new problems will arise. This still isn't a very original story and the emphasis is on gross-out gore, but I'm enjoying it enough to keep going, especially since my public library has most of this title available as ebooks.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spread is some kind of alien disease that mutates all organic life it comes in contact with save the handful of people who are immune. The first volume introduced a handful of such odd survivors in this weird post-apocalyptic world, most notably an infant whose bodily fluids can instantly kill Spread organisms. Volume two continues to explore this world and introduces more potential allies and enemies while giving an origin story for the preacher character who seems to speak for the Spread. Good stuff for fans of horror comics but the artwork isn’t to my liking.

[Bene Vogt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is still very much in the way of this being decidedly better (to be fair, animals and creatures look very good, but that’s of small condolence of hair the book is action scenes and those are not told very well), but the actual story picks up a lot of steam.

(It also makes me appreciate Tradd Moore’s work in LUTHER STRODE even more than before, making what I imagine to be a similar type of script sing).

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5*

So, we covered cannibals, organized gang of lunatics and new religion nuts in first volume.
What's left to add in this story to fit the whole dystopian theme?
Why, feral kids and slavers, of course.

This volume emerges another hero, or a redemption attempt, for Fat Jack, ex-entrepreneur, and the only remaining fat man in this world (due to his cannibalistic diet) who takes the mantle of a protector while No is out. It also brings gore up to ante with flying, medusa-like Spread that, because it wasn't horrifying enough, seems to be evolving.
Not challenging gore-splattery fun.

[Jason Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really solid horror/gore series. All of the characters are interesting. It opens up with the backstory of the pastor/preacher and it's just awesome, even though we don't see him again for the rest of the book. It very subtly sets up the background of the QZ (they set up a firebreach of radiation so the spread is stuck in the region and nothing living can enter/leave it).

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

It was okay. I barely remember the first volume but somehow I liked this one more than vol 1.

I'll admit, with remembering so little of volume 1, I had trouble remembering the players and plot - but eh, I doubt in a gory horror title like this, characters and plot rate highly.

[Highland G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite at a 4 yet but the pacing was better in the volume and the art was more detailed, less scratchy small faces and more close ups with expressions etc.
I really enjoyed this.
Again for me, this one is a reread. Now on to vol 3 which is completely new to me.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good volume. The characters are so strange.

[Cyril · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 /5

[Zackery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm bummed the local bookstore didn't have more than the first two. A lot less gory and more story driven, but fantastic art style just like the last one. Time to start looking for the rest.

[David Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid fast paced gore filled comic you can read in one sitting, fun!

[Nadinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one does more worldbuilding than the first one. i was intrigued to see the humanity that some other characters have.

[Sean Leas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first volume, the second was so terrible that I threw it in a drawer to silently forget it. As luck would have it, I was doing some spring cleaning and picked up where I left off. The second half of this volume was decent, far better than the first half which was full of terrible artwork and poor writing.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creepy and gory. Lord of the Flies gone very wrong.

[Woowott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Add a Fagin-type with kids to your original characters. No is injured, Jack the cannibal has joined the team. We learn that Billy was No's lover, which was a pleasant surprise. And we get some background on the crazy preacher, although I thought he died, so what's the point now? I enjoyed the Professor and his scraggly band of kids. And, typical of me, I rather like Jack the incorrigible cannibal. But the narration does feel like a bit of a Saga rip-off.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love gore.

This has gore. Lots of red stuff in it. Slimy red stuff. With thorns. And tentacles. And teeth.

Anyway, we see a progress in the story, and a little background prior to when things went DEFCON Crazy.

New characters too!

Pretty alright for a second volume. Not a fan of the artwork, especially for the characters, but the gore and monstrosities were really well done.

[Bruce M · Rating 4 out of 5]

No real quality dip in Spread's volume two. Still very much enjoying the world, the characters and the art.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5+ I liked this better than the first, although it feels quite short!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still a great series, though this volume felt a little more oddly paced than either the first or third.

[Silence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much happens in this one, but I still liked it.