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The Beauty Series #2
The Beauty, Vol. 2
Before the Beauty, the world was blissfully unaware...but far from innocent.
Collecting issues #7-11 of the critically acclaimed series from writer/artist Jeremy Haun (Constantine, Batwoman) and co-writer Jason A. Hurley, the second volume of The Beauty introduces new characters who encounter the disease before the full truth of what it meant to contract it was known.
Bringing the intriguing new cast to life are guest artists Mike Huddleston, Brett Weldele and Stephen Green, with colors by Eisner-nominated John Rauch.
Collecting issues #7-11 of the critically acclaimed series from writer/artist Jeremy Haun (Constantine, Batwoman) and co-writer Jason A. Hurley, the second volume of The Beauty introduces new characters who encounter the disease before the full truth of what it meant to contract it was known.
Bringing the intriguing new cast to life are guest artists Mike Huddleston, Brett Weldele and Stephen Green, with colors by Eisner-nominated John Rauch.
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2016
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308 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Haun
294 books85 followersJeremy Haun is a freelance comic book artist. Beginning in 2002, Haun worked for Image Comics, IDW Publishing, Oni Press, Devil's Due Publishing, Top Cow, and Marvel Comics. Since 2008, he has worked for DC Comics. He is best known for his work on Berserker and Battle Hymn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
December 12, 2016
If you thought the second volume of The Beauty would follow on from the first, think again - this is an entirely new cast of characters and storyline! In Volume 2 we meet a gangster who rips off his employers and uses The Beauty to completely change his appearance to escape. We’re also introduced to a trans hitman who becomes a target for her bosses after being set up.
In the first volume we discovered that The Beauty was an STD that made anyone who had it extremely physically attractive - for a short time that is before burning them up from the inside-out! Here it’s like a street drug? Huh.
The Beauty’s uses are explored further in this book as an effective way of changing your identity if you’re on the run as well as enhancing trans people’s appearances so that they look more physically like the gender they’ve transitioned to. It imaginatively shows the extent to which the world of this comic has been affected by this disease, which seems to have some positive aspects to it - though this is before people realised The Beauty caused internal combustion!
The stories though are fairly generic. Gangsters/hitmen being double-crossed, fighting to survive against their former employers, no honour among thieves, etc. and the forbidden love angle too have all been done to death. Jeremy Haun and Jason Hurley’s treatment of it is competent but unremarkable. Brett Weldele’s art is really ugly and he illustrates most of the book - the colouring is grotty and it looks like it was drawn on grease paper!
The Beauty, Volume 2 is a decent but broadly familiar crime comic that only slightly stands out because of the weird disease angle. The art is unappealing though the story is quite well written so that even if it’s not that impressive or generally original, it’s not terrible or boring either. The Beauty continues to be a so-so title that feels like it’s again falling short of realising its potential.
In the first volume we discovered that The Beauty was an STD that made anyone who had it extremely physically attractive - for a short time that is before burning them up from the inside-out! Here it’s like a street drug? Huh.
The Beauty’s uses are explored further in this book as an effective way of changing your identity if you’re on the run as well as enhancing trans people’s appearances so that they look more physically like the gender they’ve transitioned to. It imaginatively shows the extent to which the world of this comic has been affected by this disease, which seems to have some positive aspects to it - though this is before people realised The Beauty caused internal combustion!
The stories though are fairly generic. Gangsters/hitmen being double-crossed, fighting to survive against their former employers, no honour among thieves, etc. and the forbidden love angle too have all been done to death. Jeremy Haun and Jason Hurley’s treatment of it is competent but unremarkable. Brett Weldele’s art is really ugly and he illustrates most of the book - the colouring is grotty and it looks like it was drawn on grease paper!
The Beauty, Volume 2 is a decent but broadly familiar crime comic that only slightly stands out because of the weird disease angle. The art is unappealing though the story is quite well written so that even if it’s not that impressive or generally original, it’s not terrible or boring either. The Beauty continues to be a so-so title that feels like it’s again falling short of realising its potential.
October 23, 2017
Note: this is a revision of my initial review, wherein I was confused about what was going on. I reread the first three volumes and now think I am starting to understand the chronology, so am appreciating it better. Thanks to Skye for her help with this, too.
Well, I read the second volume right after the first, and it was completely different. To recap, The Beauty is an STD that makes you perfectly beautiful, which is what most people really want, though we are discovering it is high risk to get this since people can burn up from the inside out after they get it, and spontaneously combust! All the characters from the first volume are gone, the conflicts between Big Pharm and the government about a possible cure, all completely gone, because: This is a prequel to that volume! The Beauty itself is just about gone in this issue, except a large Hispanic guy uses it to both 1) lose all that weight and get gorgeous and 2) to escape with a new identity, a kind of witness protection strategy, but it is important to see that he is not just a hunk, but he is now a hunk white guy!
Another character, a trans hitwoman, has also taken the treatment and it changes her biological sex in ways that are consistent with the ways she views herself. These acts happen before either of them know what is revealed in Volume One, that you could die from The Beauty. But in this volume, you get to see some potential uses for what they don't even realize is a disease. One interesting thing is we get to experience The Beauty as a good thing for some people, and not just a strategy for reinforcing narcissism (though we know from the first volume it iss used in this way). But what emerges are some culturally specific notions for beauty, too.
Another surprise: A new artist draws this story in a completely different way, from Haun's high concept glossy art to sketchy watercolor. Almost Opposite Art! But seen as a prequel, the approach sort of makes sense, feels "earlier" or "less developed."
The thriller aspect from the first volume seems to be retained, since there is a revenge tale, and car chases and violence, but it is a story within the larger geopolitical story we learned about in volume one. The other thing that is retained is that each chapter features one of Haun's chilling paintings of a newly combusted beautiful person post-combustion; one example of this is the cover of this issue. That is actually the best thing about this volume, those covers! They also provide a kind of thematic underpinning to bridge both volumes, and a reminder, in the second volume, that death is imminent for some (if not all?) of those with this disease.
A deeper commentary about our obsession about beauty is developing. It's pretty good stuff, and pretty complicated storytelling. The dialogue isn't as sophisticated as it might be, but it's an interesting mashup of genres.
Well, I read the second volume right after the first, and it was completely different. To recap, The Beauty is an STD that makes you perfectly beautiful, which is what most people really want, though we are discovering it is high risk to get this since people can burn up from the inside out after they get it, and spontaneously combust! All the characters from the first volume are gone, the conflicts between Big Pharm and the government about a possible cure, all completely gone, because: This is a prequel to that volume! The Beauty itself is just about gone in this issue, except a large Hispanic guy uses it to both 1) lose all that weight and get gorgeous and 2) to escape with a new identity, a kind of witness protection strategy, but it is important to see that he is not just a hunk, but he is now a hunk white guy!
Another character, a trans hitwoman, has also taken the treatment and it changes her biological sex in ways that are consistent with the ways she views herself. These acts happen before either of them know what is revealed in Volume One, that you could die from The Beauty. But in this volume, you get to see some potential uses for what they don't even realize is a disease. One interesting thing is we get to experience The Beauty as a good thing for some people, and not just a strategy for reinforcing narcissism (though we know from the first volume it iss used in this way). But what emerges are some culturally specific notions for beauty, too.
Another surprise: A new artist draws this story in a completely different way, from Haun's high concept glossy art to sketchy watercolor. Almost Opposite Art! But seen as a prequel, the approach sort of makes sense, feels "earlier" or "less developed."
The thriller aspect from the first volume seems to be retained, since there is a revenge tale, and car chases and violence, but it is a story within the larger geopolitical story we learned about in volume one. The other thing that is retained is that each chapter features one of Haun's chilling paintings of a newly combusted beautiful person post-combustion; one example of this is the cover of this issue. That is actually the best thing about this volume, those covers! They also provide a kind of thematic underpinning to bridge both volumes, and a reminder, in the second volume, that death is imminent for some (if not all?) of those with this disease.
A deeper commentary about our obsession about beauty is developing. It's pretty good stuff, and pretty complicated storytelling. The dialogue isn't as sophisticated as it might be, but it's an interesting mashup of genres.
June 29, 2018
This is a much different volume than the first. Hard to tell if the first volume was just the intro and this is now the main meat of the story? Or, is each volume going to touch upon a different side story within the world where The Beauty is a thing? Maybe a few stories are being introduced and they will all come together in the end?
I enjoyed this volume, but there was not much of the actual Beauty disease involved. It was more of a protégé assassin story; outcast is adopted by a murder-for-hire organization - eventually becoming the most lethal of weapons. I thought the story was pretty cool, and would have been entertaining even outside of the universe in this series.
I continue to be fascinated with this series and the artwork. It is very unique. I am not quite sure who I would recommend it to – it is mystery/horror/action/espionage with a bit of external vs internal beauty/should you be who you are or who you could be thrown in. So, I think a lot of people will enjoy it, but some people might find it too out there.
I enjoyed this volume, but there was not much of the actual Beauty disease involved. It was more of a protégé assassin story; outcast is adopted by a murder-for-hire organization - eventually becoming the most lethal of weapons. I thought the story was pretty cool, and would have been entertaining even outside of the universe in this series.
I continue to be fascinated with this series and the artwork. It is very unique. I am not quite sure who I would recommend it to – it is mystery/horror/action/espionage with a bit of external vs internal beauty/should you be who you are or who you could be thrown in. So, I think a lot of people will enjoy it, but some people might find it too out there.
December 13, 2017
Haun seems to have completely forgot about the plot of volume 1. The Beauty is only touched on in this book. In the first issue a drug dealer cleverly uses the Beauty to hide in plain sight after he double crosses his gang. Then we move into the story of a trans hitwoman who's a badass. The stories are very well-written, just odd that we seemed to put the story Haun was building on hold, maybe it was so he could catch up as the artist. The art in here is not very good, nor is the coloring, but in this case, a good story pulled it through.
February 20, 2017
Not at all what I expected, this was quite a departure from the first volume. The story of a hitwoman and those around her, The Beauty was a background element to her tale.
May 19, 2017
I was kind of hoping that this one would follow on from the first one (which I loved), but it didn't. *sad face*
That's what I get for blindly buying the next book in the series without reading into it first!
This one introduces a whole bunch of new characters to the mix, but it doesn't flow with the story line of the first TP. Hopefully the next instalment satisfies my curiosity for what happens next!
That's what I get for blindly buying the next book in the series without reading into it first!
This one introduces a whole bunch of new characters to the mix, but it doesn't flow with the story line of the first TP. Hopefully the next instalment satisfies my curiosity for what happens next!
April 14, 2017
Wow, I didn't realize this volume was going to be this short. Hrm. I think this is going to get major props for having a trans main character, so there's that. But now that I'm thinking about it I enjoyed the first volume better. I liked the characters in this one and the story in the first, which is odd and kind of difficult to review. It's not like this was a waste of time to read ... but ... I don't know. Maybe check it out from the library or just buy one or two issues to start.
Individual issue reviews: #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11
Total review score: 3.4
Individual issue reviews: #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11
Total review score: 3.4
June 12, 2020
MY reviews for issues 7-11:
The Beauty #7
The Beauty #8
The Beauty #9
The Beauty #10
The Beauty #11
New characters appear. There's so much blood and death. Also full frontal nudity. The story did stray a little from the original duo. I can't wait to go back to them.
The Beauty #7
The Beauty #8
The Beauty #9
The Beauty #10
The Beauty #11
New characters appear. There's so much blood and death. Also full frontal nudity. The story did stray a little from the original duo. I can't wait to go back to them.
October 30, 2018
3.5
This volume threw me for a loop; this installment has a completely new storyline, as well as all new characters. This was very odd at first because I expected volume 2 to be a continuation of volume 1. Also, whereas the first volume deals with the future repercussions of the beauty, this one appears to be about its origins. It feels kind of like the story backtracked. Despite the lack of continuation from volume 1, I still enjoyed this offering. I'm interested to see how/if this story converges with that of volume 1 (discounting the beauty aspect, of course).
This volume threw me for a loop; this installment has a completely new storyline, as well as all new characters. This was very odd at first because I expected volume 2 to be a continuation of volume 1. Also, whereas the first volume deals with the future repercussions of the beauty, this one appears to be about its origins. It feels kind of like the story backtracked. Despite the lack of continuation from volume 1, I still enjoyed this offering. I'm interested to see how/if this story converges with that of volume 1 (discounting the beauty aspect, of course).
January 11, 2017
Biography of a hitwoman.
What the hell is this? Volume 2 of The Beauty has virtually nothing to do with The Beauty. None of the characters are back, the noble-scientists-vs-evil-Big-Pharma plot is gone, nobody combusts, the beauty itself barely even gets a mention. (Okay, one character does infect himself as a disguise, that was clever.)
This is just a (quite-decent) revenge story. A deadly assassin antihero goes on a rampage against the gang that killed her family. I enjoyed it well enough, but...man, this series has no idea what it wants to be. Maybe volume 3 will be a recipe book.
What the hell is this? Volume 2 of The Beauty has virtually nothing to do with The Beauty. None of the characters are back, the noble-scientists-vs-evil-Big-Pharma plot is gone, nobody combusts, the beauty itself barely even gets a mention. (Okay, one character does infect himself as a disguise, that was clever.)
This is just a (quite-decent) revenge story. A deadly assassin antihero goes on a rampage against the gang that killed her family. I enjoyed it well enough, but...man, this series has no idea what it wants to be. Maybe volume 3 will be a recipe book.
January 4, 2017
Very disappointed. Instead of picking up with detectives Vaughn and Foster from the first volume, the second volume moves away from the initial plot onto a seemingly unrelated tangent about a trans hitwoman named Ezarae. The artwork is also suffering greatly in this volume. The line work is lazy and the overall look is that of a hurried storyboard, not a polished and finished product.
Aside from sharing the same title and being labeled as a continuation, this work feels like it is in no shape or form related to volume one. In the long run, I imagine you can easily skip this volume with little consequence.
Aside from sharing the same title and being labeled as a continuation, this work feels like it is in no shape or form related to volume one. In the long run, I imagine you can easily skip this volume with little consequence.
February 5, 2017
I really enjoyed Volume 1, but Volune 2 was a total let-down. Theough I found the different drawing style interesting, it made it all feel like a completely different series.
The old people/ storylines were dropped (for the moment) and only in a few rare moments the theme of the first volume was picked up at all.
The old people/ storylines were dropped (for the moment) and only in a few rare moments the theme of the first volume was picked up at all.
August 15, 2022
OK, let's do this...
The Beauty, Vol. 1 is a story about a main pharmaceutic company allowing everyone dies in order to they get more money...at any cost, you could say! And that's pretty cool, but this one give a step back, to a moment where "The beauty" wasn't a common illness, the beggining of the epidemic, for call it a name and...I'm not quite sure that was the best idea. I get that this allows to explore others POV, and work wit other artists but the plot is completely disconnected, TBH, I will prefer, if the point was going back in time, to show case Lundy and Bennet experiments and how the ill was discover. Yes, show me how people get affected and take advantage of but...this was a mafia story line, and that's not exactly what I came for.
On the good side, the covers are still awesome and Ez story line, all the development, was interesting but I don't feel like this was as good as can be. Like, we need more flesh, 'cause this feels incomplety, like half of the story isn't being told. Even so, the main plot of the beauty can allow to show some pretty sick stuffs and ge stop on some gangsters changing their faces? Get out of here and thinks this a little bit more, 'cause isn't new or interesting.
The Beauty, Vol. 1 is a story about a main pharmaceutic company allowing everyone dies in order to they get more money...at any cost, you could say! And that's pretty cool, but this one give a step back, to a moment where "The beauty" wasn't a common illness, the beggining of the epidemic, for call it a name and...I'm not quite sure that was the best idea. I get that this allows to explore others POV, and work wit other artists but the plot is completely disconnected, TBH, I will prefer, if the point was going back in time, to show case Lundy and Bennet experiments and how the ill was discover. Yes, show me how people get affected and take advantage of but...this was a mafia story line, and that's not exactly what I came for.
On the good side, the covers are still awesome and Ez story line, all the development, was interesting but I don't feel like this was as good as can be. Like, we need more flesh, 'cause this feels incomplety, like half of the story isn't being told. Even so, the main plot of the beauty can allow to show some pretty sick stuffs and ge stop on some gangsters changing their faces? Get out of here and thinks this a little bit more, 'cause isn't new or interesting.
September 26, 2020
The Beauty Vol. 2 (issues 7-11).
After the shocking events of issue 6 (in Vol. 1), we're introduced to Timo, Ezerae, and a host of new characters, to further explore a dark and demented world tainted by The Beauty, where perfection is a fatal disease, and not everyone wants a cure.
This arc took a different path, not exactly what I expected. Will need to see where this goes in Vol.3.
Themes: A gangster goes rogue and starts over, a trans hit-woman for the mob becomes a target herself, not much of the Beauty in this arc, it’s more of a coming of age story of Ezerae.
4 Stars
After the shocking events of issue 6 (in Vol. 1), we're introduced to Timo, Ezerae, and a host of new characters, to further explore a dark and demented world tainted by The Beauty, where perfection is a fatal disease, and not everyone wants a cure.
This arc took a different path, not exactly what I expected. Will need to see where this goes in Vol.3.
Themes: A gangster goes rogue and starts over, a trans hit-woman for the mob becomes a target herself, not much of the Beauty in this arc, it’s more of a coming of age story of Ezerae.
4 Stars
November 20, 2018
Not only did the art change but the story went a totally different direction.....is it about the std or a crime book?
August 7, 2019
Not a sequel to volume one, but rather a new story. A trans character, past and present, a life of violent crime, love, bad things happening... The Beauty only plays a marginal role in this volume. Pity, I think I would have liked to stay with the old characters and plot.
The art is (mostly) not as nice as in the first volume, but not without appeal. Different. Not sure I am a huge fan of guest artists in general.
————
What I thought of the separate chapters:
Chapter 7... a new character, a huge and unhappy guy. Pretty violent, plenty of gore... The Beauty and a metamorphosis...
Chapter 8... different artist than volume one? Not as nice as what we have seen previously, but the story has potential.
Chapter 9... continuation of the previous story. The change in style from the present to the past is well done, with the past storyline a little more indistinct and two-dimensional. Interesting.
Chapter 10... pretty violent. Coming full circle. Nice.
Chapter 11... new story? Definitely back to the nicer artwork of the first volume. Thank goodness for that! And not a new story, just back to the very beginning. I like it.
Some food porn, lol. And revenge.
This volume made me think of John Wick a little.
The art is (mostly) not as nice as in the first volume, but not without appeal. Different. Not sure I am a huge fan of guest artists in general.
————
What I thought of the separate chapters:
Chapter 7... a new character, a huge and unhappy guy. Pretty violent, plenty of gore... The Beauty and a metamorphosis...
Chapter 8... different artist than volume one? Not as nice as what we have seen previously, but the story has potential.
Chapter 9... continuation of the previous story. The change in style from the present to the past is well done, with the past storyline a little more indistinct and two-dimensional. Interesting.
Chapter 10... pretty violent. Coming full circle. Nice.
Chapter 11... new story? Definitely back to the nicer artwork of the first volume. Thank goodness for that! And not a new story, just back to the very beginning. I like it.
Some food porn, lol. And revenge.
This volume made me think of John Wick a little.
March 18, 2017
2/3 A missed opportunity Stars
I am starting to fear that the covers might become the most fascinating thing about this story. I enjoyed this new volume but I think it heavily missed the mark: it is a prequel with a different cast of characters and the storyline is very traditional. As prequel, it doesn't provide tension release after the cliffhanger ending of the previous collection and I was very much looking forward to know how that would unfold, but it also fails in providing more insight in how the Beauty virus spread and became so popular and addictive. It makes its appeareance of course, this time as a way to get a whole new identity, not just physical improvement, but is not the driving force of the plot, which actually revolves around a good old backstabbing-gangsters story with a little bit of doomed lovers in it and 'family is the one you choose and make for yoursef' sprinkle on top. The main characters of the two parts are marginalized individuals, one a transgender woman and the other a big, heavy, menacing looking man, both poc, but there's no deep social commentary to be found. Not a bad storyline, it's well managed and believable, just not original at all.
The weakest part, however, is the art. In some parts is really...sloppy if not ugly, absolutely unmemorable. A real pity, because I still think the basic idea of this comic is incredibly intriguing. I want to know more, so I'll keep reading the serie, hopefully Volume 3 is back to the previous cast of characters.
I am starting to fear that the covers might become the most fascinating thing about this story. I enjoyed this new volume but I think it heavily missed the mark: it is a prequel with a different cast of characters and the storyline is very traditional. As prequel, it doesn't provide tension release after the cliffhanger ending of the previous collection and I was very much looking forward to know how that would unfold, but it also fails in providing more insight in how the Beauty virus spread and became so popular and addictive. It makes its appeareance of course, this time as a way to get a whole new identity, not just physical improvement, but is not the driving force of the plot, which actually revolves around a good old backstabbing-gangsters story with a little bit of doomed lovers in it and 'family is the one you choose and make for yoursef' sprinkle on top. The main characters of the two parts are marginalized individuals, one a transgender woman and the other a big, heavy, menacing looking man, both poc, but there's no deep social commentary to be found. Not a bad storyline, it's well managed and believable, just not original at all.
The weakest part, however, is the art. In some parts is really...sloppy if not ugly, absolutely unmemorable. A real pity, because I still think the basic idea of this comic is incredibly intriguing. I want to know more, so I'll keep reading the serie, hopefully Volume 3 is back to the previous cast of characters.
February 4, 2023
2.75
This was fine and I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if I understood what does have to do with the part of the first one. Literally none of the characters or plot from the first one was in the one. It was just a whole different story. So what was the point. It was interesting and there was diverse characters and that’s good and it was interesting to see how the beauty could help with that, but what was the point ?
This was fine and I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if I understood what does have to do with the part of the first one. Literally none of the characters or plot from the first one was in the one. It was just a whole different story. So what was the point. It was interesting and there was diverse characters and that’s good and it was interesting to see how the beauty could help with that, but what was the point ?
December 30, 2021
So Vol. 2 changes things up as Haun introduces new characters and (one would assume) temporarily moves away from the plot in Vol. 1. He also has three guest artists contributing and that brings in new stylistics to the artwork. Chronologically, this seems to all take place before Vol. 1. The new characters (one is trans) are assassins in a small crime family. Each uses The Beauty. One to change his identity and escape after ripping off the mob, and the other to smooth her gender transformation. Lots of character work here as we get engaging back story on both of them. Although this is clearly a setup volume for the expanding story, there's still plenty of action as the crime family needs to get taken out if our two focal characters are to survive. My niggle about Vol. 1 - that it was all a bit formulaic - is spot on with Vol. 2. What we have here is a basic crime story. The Beauty is much less in focus. Well-written and enjoyable nonetheless, and the new characters should push this story forward.
June 3, 2017
Volume two is an entirely separate entity from Volume 1, telling the story of a group of criminals with whom the Beauty virus intersects (rather peripherally, in most cases). It's an enjoyable story, albeit exceptionally violent, and the characters are interesting. But it has very little in it that really requires the basic conceit of the series to function; it really is just a crime family story. The one interesting twist (what does the Beauty virus do to a trans individual?) is hardly even addressed, even as Ezerae is the central character in the book. And it's also a very quick read, with an interesting mesh of artistic styles to differentiate the different time periods addressed. All in all, it's a good read, but if you're intrigued by the concept of the Beauty, this volume doesn't push anything forward.
September 15, 2017
This was an interesting addition to the series. It didn't pick up where volume 1 left off but actually gave the reader insight to individuals who used "the beauty" to further advance themselves prior to knowing it's affects. I was really interested in the storyline but I couldn't give it more than 3 stars because I'm not sure how it's going to tie into the rest of the volumes. It was actually pretty sad and I hope that I get to see some sort of resolution in the next volume.
February 28, 2017
Well this was very different from the first volume. There was a whole new cast of characters, a different art style, a different plot honestly this felt like a completely different series to the first volume. Although I liked this volume, it just wasn't as great as the first one. Props for having a Trans Woman of colour as the main character, loved that!
Volume 2 is set before volume 1 where the world hasn't found out yet about the negative side effects of the beauty, I was disappointed though that the beauty isn't really mentioned all that much. This volume felt very familiar with its person takes revenge on gang story line.
Fingers crossed volume 3 is an improvement on this.
Volume 2 is set before volume 1 where the world hasn't found out yet about the negative side effects of the beauty, I was disappointed though that the beauty isn't really mentioned all that much. This volume felt very familiar with its person takes revenge on gang story line.
Fingers crossed volume 3 is an improvement on this.
July 10, 2019
Yet another that I plum forgot to add to my currently reading list! Gaah!
Okay, this was a completely different story than I was anticipating. Different characters, all new situation, and not dealing with the consequences of Beauty.
I love that there's a trans character! I also loved that she was in a relationship, and while I don't typically appreciate graphic sex/nudity in my comics (just personal preference (pretty ironic, considering the premise)😂), I love that they didn't shy away from showing her that way. It was awesome and so positive!
I'm not sure if this will ever actually tie in with the story started in the first volume, but it was a nice side story regardless.
Okay, this was a completely different story than I was anticipating. Different characters, all new situation, and not dealing with the consequences of Beauty.
I love that there's a trans character! I also loved that she was in a relationship, and while I don't typically appreciate graphic sex/nudity in my comics (just personal preference (pretty ironic, considering the premise)😂), I love that they didn't shy away from showing her that way. It was awesome and so positive!
I'm not sure if this will ever actually tie in with the story started in the first volume, but it was a nice side story regardless.
August 28, 2017
This was more of a crime story than the first volume and featured a whole new cast of characters. It is set before anyone knows the perils of The Beauty and the disease isn't the feature of the story, but it is a handy way for criminals to change their identities and become unrecognizable. Although they were both killers I couldn't help but like Timo and Ez. Ez was damn glorious and it was exciting to see a beautiful, sexy trans woman kicking butt as a deadly assassin.
February 16, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) See review one for more context.
Volume one was a great idea, poorly executed. I've stated before that if there is anything worse than a terrible idea, executed terribly, its a strong idea, executed with all the competence of a duffel bag of shit with a pen sticking out the top. But seeing as I was so invested in the idea, I crossed my fingers, toes, and any other crossable appendage I own, dove into volume two, hoping against hope that the author and artist had an editor put the wind up them, found a genie in a bottle and used one of their wishes non some literary talent, or just managed to stumble ass backwards onto a good story by accident. I didn't care, I just wanted this cool idea to receive reasonable representation. So that I could sit there and not wish so hard that I had the chance to right this story, rather than the hacks we have before us, though credit where credit is due for the idea.
So I opened volume two with baited breath, pessimism smeared across my eyeballs, praying to be proven wrong. And for a brief moment. Just a brief moment, I thought just maybe, they had done the unthinkable. They had come up with a good story line, and were going to execute it as competently as they seemed capable of. The direction looked promising. The art was better, the writing was better, although by no discernible margin. So I started the next issue with an optimism unseen since issue 1, and what was I rewarded with you ask??? With the biggest, limpest, syphilitic dick smacked right across my face. Of course, said syphilitic dick is a metaphor for some of the most dismally amateur, horrendous, ham fisted progressivism you could ever hope to cram into the pages of a comic book. Jesus tap dancing Christ. Someone published this. Someone in a position of authority read this, okayed it and sent it to print. People got paid for this! Any writer of modest talent or more should immediately have their ire raised to boiling point, when they think that someone can get this flaming bag of shit published, whilst other more interesting and accomplished works sit unread in hard drives. I criticised the first book for poorly utilising a great idea. So the only recourse available to a writer of such miniscule literary intellect is... to right another piece of bang average piece of garbage, but ignore the good idea completely whilst you do it. I'm serious. Apart from a tiny bit of the first and final issue (which are essentially single story arcs) the main four issue arc of this story has so little to do with the Beauty idea, that it could be removed entirely and it would make zero difference. Zero!
The first issue was a little clunky, but by the time it ended, I was on board for where it was heading. But the author knew better. The author knew what I really wanted was to start an entirely different story about a transgender hitman/woman whatever with some of the shittest art that has ever graced a comic book. I like to reserve my criticism for writers, because I can't draw to save myself, and I feel bad being critical when I could hardly do better. But this art is so bad, It wouldn't be a stretch to say I almost could draw better than this tat. I'm ashamed that a tree died to make this, I really am. Nor would it be a stretch to consider such criminal misuse of a great idea to violate some humanitarian law. I hated my eyeballs a little bit, for them having to absorb this. Zero spoilers aside, I cant even bring myself to detail the litany of examples that make this a crime against fiction. I just want it to go far away. Now, the final issue actually acknowledged the stories conceptual idea, and I didn't think it was half bad when I was reading it either. But the fact that the contents of this issue make up probably the best part of the first tow volumes of this story is so depressing, it made me hate it even more. I was more than generous with my score for volume one, but that generosity has dried up and somehow caught fire. I hate myself for having faith in the creators. I hate the fact a tree died for this. I hate the fact oxygen was used during the creative process. Take your poorly drawn, atrociously written, woke, waste of space book, and send it somewhere dark and unpleasant. Just don't. 1/5
OmniBen.
Volume one was a great idea, poorly executed. I've stated before that if there is anything worse than a terrible idea, executed terribly, its a strong idea, executed with all the competence of a duffel bag of shit with a pen sticking out the top. But seeing as I was so invested in the idea, I crossed my fingers, toes, and any other crossable appendage I own, dove into volume two, hoping against hope that the author and artist had an editor put the wind up them, found a genie in a bottle and used one of their wishes non some literary talent, or just managed to stumble ass backwards onto a good story by accident. I didn't care, I just wanted this cool idea to receive reasonable representation. So that I could sit there and not wish so hard that I had the chance to right this story, rather than the hacks we have before us, though credit where credit is due for the idea.
So I opened volume two with baited breath, pessimism smeared across my eyeballs, praying to be proven wrong. And for a brief moment. Just a brief moment, I thought just maybe, they had done the unthinkable. They had come up with a good story line, and were going to execute it as competently as they seemed capable of. The direction looked promising. The art was better, the writing was better, although by no discernible margin. So I started the next issue with an optimism unseen since issue 1, and what was I rewarded with you ask??? With the biggest, limpest, syphilitic dick smacked right across my face. Of course, said syphilitic dick is a metaphor for some of the most dismally amateur, horrendous, ham fisted progressivism you could ever hope to cram into the pages of a comic book. Jesus tap dancing Christ. Someone published this. Someone in a position of authority read this, okayed it and sent it to print. People got paid for this! Any writer of modest talent or more should immediately have their ire raised to boiling point, when they think that someone can get this flaming bag of shit published, whilst other more interesting and accomplished works sit unread in hard drives. I criticised the first book for poorly utilising a great idea. So the only recourse available to a writer of such miniscule literary intellect is... to right another piece of bang average piece of garbage, but ignore the good idea completely whilst you do it. I'm serious. Apart from a tiny bit of the first and final issue (which are essentially single story arcs) the main four issue arc of this story has so little to do with the Beauty idea, that it could be removed entirely and it would make zero difference. Zero!
The first issue was a little clunky, but by the time it ended, I was on board for where it was heading. But the author knew better. The author knew what I really wanted was to start an entirely different story about a transgender hitman/woman whatever with some of the shittest art that has ever graced a comic book. I like to reserve my criticism for writers, because I can't draw to save myself, and I feel bad being critical when I could hardly do better. But this art is so bad, It wouldn't be a stretch to say I almost could draw better than this tat. I'm ashamed that a tree died to make this, I really am. Nor would it be a stretch to consider such criminal misuse of a great idea to violate some humanitarian law. I hated my eyeballs a little bit, for them having to absorb this. Zero spoilers aside, I cant even bring myself to detail the litany of examples that make this a crime against fiction. I just want it to go far away. Now, the final issue actually acknowledged the stories conceptual idea, and I didn't think it was half bad when I was reading it either. But the fact that the contents of this issue make up probably the best part of the first tow volumes of this story is so depressing, it made me hate it even more. I was more than generous with my score for volume one, but that generosity has dried up and somehow caught fire. I hate myself for having faith in the creators. I hate the fact a tree died for this. I hate the fact oxygen was used during the creative process. Take your poorly drawn, atrociously written, woke, waste of space book, and send it somewhere dark and unpleasant. Just don't. 1/5
OmniBen.
November 19, 2017
Finally, a second volume of The Beauty! Unfortunately, it skips back to before everyone starts burning up and becomes a rather generic thriller-style comic about gangs and revenge. I did enjoy it, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. I didn't care about the characters very much, and I would like to see how this ends up connecting to the overall plot. Props for having a trans character though that didn't die by the end, and was the main character to boot!
February 18, 2017
Not quite what I was expecting. I figured we'd continue the story from volume 1, but this looks at a new group of characters, as well as jumping back to the past, before people knew that "the beauty" was a death sentence (besides remaking your appearance, etc.). This is a fairly generic story of criminals on the run, double-crosses, and revenge on angry crime bosses, but I really enjoyed it. One of the characters. a Hispanic gangster, six foot tall and 3oo pounds heavy, takes "the beauty" after killing off several members of his gang and making off with their cash, and it turns him into a movie-idol handsome, slim, male model type--the perfect disguise for going on the run. Another character, a trans hitwoman, has also taken the treatment and it has made her even more womanly and beautiful. It's not exactly a new story or particularly groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it a lot. I'd be interested to see where this goes next.
January 29, 2020
As grotesque as the covers are, they are still the most beautiful thing about the artwork in general. And there's transexuality! Finally getting with the times. Too bad the Beauty is an afterthought in this volume which instead focuses on a few new characters and their life of crime. There are better crime thrillers out there.
Ez was a child who never really fit in. Later the boy realized that he doesn't feel content in his body. Years later an unlucky encounter gets him noticed by a contract killer named Parks who notices the boy's potential. They train together and complete lucrative hits that allow Ez to turn his body into the woman he always wanted to be. Switching to 'she' after this. Ez finds a new family in her colleagues, but a mistake turns the whole thing to dust.
Ez was a child who never really fit in. Later the boy realized that he doesn't feel content in his body. Years later an unlucky encounter gets him noticed by a contract killer named Parks who notices the boy's potential. They train together and complete lucrative hits that allow Ez to turn his body into the woman he always wanted to be. Switching to 'she' after this. Ez finds a new family in her colleagues, but a mistake turns the whole thing to dust.
March 13, 2017
"And now for something completely different!"
This may or may not have been better than the first. I'm not sure, because I read the first bit - which I did enjoy - then read the last few pages, then returned it. I'm sure at some point, this plot will dovetail with the plot in the first book, but it seems entirely unrelated for now.
This series may have worked better as a traditional book, honestly; the story does seem to be there, but the medium and particularly the pacing of the delivery inherent to the medium are really damaging to this story. I know comics are all the rage, but guys... The written word has some advantages, okay?
This may or may not have been better than the first. I'm not sure, because I read the first bit - which I did enjoy - then read the last few pages, then returned it. I'm sure at some point, this plot will dovetail with the plot in the first book, but it seems entirely unrelated for now.
This series may have worked better as a traditional book, honestly; the story does seem to be there, but the medium and particularly the pacing of the delivery inherent to the medium are really damaging to this story. I know comics are all the rage, but guys... The written word has some advantages, okay?
February 15, 2020
+++ Amazing artwork. The drawings of people affected by Beauty are particularly good. Pin-up good. Also great colors, lettering, etc.
++/- Excellent scene composition. Action scenes are good. The horror vignettes are on the gory side.
--- I couldn't care less for the story. Worse, seems like the authors don't either. The story veers from the global pandemic, a typical dystopian trope, to the more personal issues of a paid killer. So the story arc is too scattered and lacks long-story tension.
--- Didn't care for the ending of the last issue collected here.
++/- Excellent scene composition. Action scenes are good. The horror vignettes are on the gory side.
--- I couldn't care less for the story. Worse, seems like the authors don't either. The story veers from the global pandemic, a typical dystopian trope, to the more personal issues of a paid killer. So the story arc is too scattered and lacks long-story tension.
--- Didn't care for the ending of the last issue collected here.
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