Highlander, Volume 2: Dark Quickening

Highlander (Dynamite) #2

by Brandon Jerwa

Collecting issues six through nine of the Highlander comic book series, "Dark Quickening" features Connor Macleod, who is joined by his cousin Duncan, as the two race to save Connor's very soul from the dark influence of the Kurgan!

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics

104 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2008

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll give this comic one thing: at least it feels like a proper HIGHLANDER story. Even if it is mostly a rehash of a prior TV series episode (the one where a Dark Quickening makes Duncan turn bad, hurt his friends, and engage in a mystical sword fight with himself). Here, the same thing happens to Connor, only he's forced into a mystical sword fight with the Kurgan. Everything is very by-the-numbers, and the ending is as predictable as the date of your next birthday.

[Shawn Robare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ug. The ideas in these Highlander comics aren’t horrible, but the execution is kinda bad. 4 comic issues tends to read like one hour of television, and in this short arc they tried to do a version of the story that the 90s show did over an entire season. It just plays silly when done so fast. Also, the stunt casting of Brad Pitt as the villain keeps messing with me…

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story marred by poor art, delving into the psychological effects of quickening.

[Egghead · Rating 3 out of 5]

kurgan in the brain
making connor feel insane
felt it was...mundane.

[Mike Jozic · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea is a good one: after taking in the Kurgan's essence at the end of the first Highlander film Conner Macleod finds himself tainted by the dark quickening. He finds himself fighting darker, base urges and, ultimately, for his soul. The only downside to "Dark Quickening" is in its execution. The art is kind of uninspiring and the scripting by Jerwa is kind of flat. Things follow a pretty basic and predictable narrative and, on top of that, this subject matter was already successfully covered during the Highlander: The Series run. Did I hate it? No. Did I love it? No. If it wasn't for the tie-in to the franchise I probably wouldn't have given it the time of day, though, so make of that what you will.

[Marko · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second part of the Highlander story is truer to the universe. Connor is dealing with the after effects of the Kurgan's quickening while another immortal aims to push him over the edge. The problem is that the TV series already dealt with the concept and the story here is very predictable.

[Roger L. Boyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big improvement over the previous volume. This is Highlander.