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Yemen #2
Black Powder Red Earth Yemen [ Book Two ]
In the decade following the invasion of Iraq, Private Military Companies become the preferred instrument of foreign policy by Petro-Monarchies in the failed states of the Middle East. Staffed with former SOF combat veterans, Cold Harbor selects, trains and leads armies of local nationals in conventional and unconventional warfare operations. Combat actions conducted by the PMC are not considered acts of war. They are matters of foreign internal defense.
118 pages, Paperback
Published April 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 15, 2019
All this has done is whetted my appetite for more. I particularly liked the backstory with Crane. I just wish I could get my hands on all of it.
July 2, 2024
I enjoyed Book One enough to want to continue the Black Powder Red Earth: Yemen series, so I quickly bought the second and third books and read both.
Similar to Book One, Book Two opens with a large battle scene, this being the major offensive in Ma'rib mentioned in the last book. Cold Harbor's force of private military contractors and indigenous personnel move in to wipe out an Islamic State cell operating in the city, an op set to coincide with an assault by the Iranian-backed Houthis. This conflict takes up the first thirty-five pages or so of Book Two and provides payoff after the second half of the first book dealt with the set up. The rest of Book Two gives us some deeper characterizations of Hesher and Crane, two of the Ember contractors who do a lot of the pipe-hitting work for the company in-country.
In my review of Book One, I mentioned the possibility that the scratchy and somewhat indistinct style of Josh Taylor's art might have been intentional, an attempt to convey the pure chaos of close combat in an urban setting. I am more convinced this is the case after reading Book Two. In contrast with much of the series being in black and white, the opening pages of Book Two explode - quite literally - with color, mainly red and yellow, as the Ma'rib offensive kicks off. There are a lot of civvie casualties, and once again Taylor doesn't shy away from showing violence in horrific fashion. I mentioned this in my last review as well, but perhaps it's worth drawing more attention to now, as if you're not the type of person who enjoys violence in media, Black Powder Red Earth: Yemen might be a series you'll want to avoid. There is definitely some disturbing imagery here that could be off-putting if you're not used to that sort of content. To further critique Taylor's art, I must say that many of the characters - particularly the Cold Harbor contractors in the field - look alike, which makes it difficult to distinguish between them, an issue that is especially apparent in combat scenes. That is to say there were a couple times when I wasn't entirely sure what was happening or who it was happening to. If my idea that Taylor does this on purpose is on the money, then your mileage may vary as to whether that makes the book more or less enjoyable.
The rest of the book shows our hardened killers of Cold Harbor and their bosses engaging in a lot of dirty business. As mentioned above, we get more characterization of Hesher and Crane, and in the latter's case, some actual backstory via a brief exposition dump by Hesher. Much like Taylor and his art are not squeamish when it comes to depicting violence, Jon Chang's has no qualms about casting his protagonists in a morally and ethically questionable light. Cold Harbor personnel are willing to do whatever it takes to complete their mission in Yemen, and their actions are those of ruthless war profiteers. One scene in particular sticks out in my mind, in which the ever-slick and savvy Mr. Salt is discussing Cold Harbor's detaining of noncombatants and said detainees' treatment, and his contact in the government leans back and casually quotes the Geto Boys' hit song, "Damn, it feels good to be a gangster." All this put together really makes the reader wonder whether they ought to be rooting for Cold Harbor at all, but this moral myopia only goes so far; the story clearly paints the Islamic State militants as complete monsters, perpetrators of various forms of brutal and soulless barbarism. Taylor's art furthers this characterization. He's particularly talented at drawing expressive faces, and his jihadists in particular always look suitably crazed and mentally unstable.
I feel the need to shout out a particular double-page spread at around the halfway point of the book. It's wonderful artwork, makes excellent use of color to convey deeper meaning, and is honestly something I'd enjoy having as a desktop wallpaper. A lonely contractor standing guard while the country burns in the distance, making a lonely and miserable living amid the chaos of ongoing warfare.
The second book in the Black Powder Red Earth: Yemen trilogy is a worthy follow-up to Book One. It's chock full of more of the same from Book One: violent and unforgiving scenes of warfare, political and corporate intrigue, and an added dose of "gray-and-gray" morality. If you liked the first, you'll like this one. I recommend it.
Similar to Book One, Book Two opens with a large battle scene, this being the major offensive in Ma'rib mentioned in the last book. Cold Harbor's force of private military contractors and indigenous personnel move in to wipe out an Islamic State cell operating in the city, an op set to coincide with an assault by the Iranian-backed Houthis. This conflict takes up the first thirty-five pages or so of Book Two and provides payoff after the second half of the first book dealt with the set up. The rest of Book Two gives us some deeper characterizations of Hesher and Crane, two of the Ember contractors who do a lot of the pipe-hitting work for the company in-country.
In my review of Book One, I mentioned the possibility that the scratchy and somewhat indistinct style of Josh Taylor's art might have been intentional, an attempt to convey the pure chaos of close combat in an urban setting. I am more convinced this is the case after reading Book Two. In contrast with much of the series being in black and white, the opening pages of Book Two explode - quite literally - with color, mainly red and yellow, as the Ma'rib offensive kicks off. There are a lot of civvie casualties, and once again Taylor doesn't shy away from showing violence in horrific fashion. I mentioned this in my last review as well, but perhaps it's worth drawing more attention to now, as if you're not the type of person who enjoys violence in media, Black Powder Red Earth: Yemen might be a series you'll want to avoid. There is definitely some disturbing imagery here that could be off-putting if you're not used to that sort of content. To further critique Taylor's art, I must say that many of the characters - particularly the Cold Harbor contractors in the field - look alike, which makes it difficult to distinguish between them, an issue that is especially apparent in combat scenes. That is to say there were a couple times when I wasn't entirely sure what was happening or who it was happening to. If my idea that Taylor does this on purpose is on the money, then your mileage may vary as to whether that makes the book more or less enjoyable.
The rest of the book shows our hardened killers of Cold Harbor and their bosses engaging in a lot of dirty business. As mentioned above, we get more characterization of Hesher and Crane, and in the latter's case, some actual backstory via a brief exposition dump by Hesher. Much like Taylor and his art are not squeamish when it comes to depicting violence, Jon Chang's has no qualms about casting his protagonists in a morally and ethically questionable light. Cold Harbor personnel are willing to do whatever it takes to complete their mission in Yemen, and their actions are those of ruthless war profiteers. One scene in particular sticks out in my mind, in which the ever-slick and savvy Mr. Salt is discussing Cold Harbor's detaining of noncombatants and said detainees' treatment, and his contact in the government leans back and casually quotes the Geto Boys' hit song, "Damn, it feels good to be a gangster." All this put together really makes the reader wonder whether they ought to be rooting for Cold Harbor at all, but this moral myopia only goes so far; the story clearly paints the Islamic State militants as complete monsters, perpetrators of various forms of brutal and soulless barbarism. Taylor's art furthers this characterization. He's particularly talented at drawing expressive faces, and his jihadists in particular always look suitably crazed and mentally unstable.
I feel the need to shout out a particular double-page spread at around the halfway point of the book. It's wonderful artwork, makes excellent use of color to convey deeper meaning, and is honestly something I'd enjoy having as a desktop wallpaper. A lonely contractor standing guard while the country burns in the distance, making a lonely and miserable living amid the chaos of ongoing warfare.
The second book in the Black Powder Red Earth: Yemen trilogy is a worthy follow-up to Book One. It's chock full of more of the same from Book One: violent and unforgiving scenes of warfare, political and corporate intrigue, and an added dose of "gray-and-gray" morality. If you liked the first, you'll like this one. I recommend it.
April 10, 2019
Story starts with the bang - urban warfare in which Cold Harbor assists new employer (Houthis) against their opposition. Fights are visceral and artist Josh Taylor is truly an expert in depicting utter chaos of modern warfare.
It is clear that Cold Harbor is playing all of the participants in the war but it is also more than clear that this is not black/white confrontation - entire area is deep nuance of gray and one needs to be quite an operator to navigate these treacherous grounds.
Art is fantastic, following the issue #1.
Highly recommended to all fans of thrillers, special operations, mercenaries and thrillers in general.
It is clear that Cold Harbor is playing all of the participants in the war but it is also more than clear that this is not black/white confrontation - entire area is deep nuance of gray and one needs to be quite an operator to navigate these treacherous grounds.
Art is fantastic, following the issue #1.
Highly recommended to all fans of thrillers, special operations, mercenaries and thrillers in general.
July 22, 2018
Great series. Following Book One, Cold Harbor launches an operation targeting an ISIS cell in Ma'rib. First half of the book is all action. However, one needs to pay attention as the complex relationships in Yemen's civil war come in to play. ISIS, AQAP, the Saudis, Iran, and the Houthis are all players in the game. The artwork has improved a great deal since the early Iraq series, though it may not be everyone's preferred style. Somewhat muted color palette, with reds and blues being dominant. A gritty, graphic depiction of modern warfare. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews