Synopsis: In this second issue of The Collector: Unit 731. Facing the horrors of history . . . Prisoners of war James and John are realizing there’s more going on at this camp than their captors are letting on. With prisoners’ bodies getting sicker and weaker, escaping is a race against the clock. Meanwhile, Dr. Sadao Shuzen isn’t seeing the results he would like, and he’s facing a ticking clock of his own. Will anyone get out of Unit 731 alive?
The Story
Having been infected with plague in the last issue. James’s unique metabolism kicks in as he manages to puke the virus out of his system. Realizing that it is only a matter of time before his secret is discovered. James and John are working to try and escape from Unit 731. Meanwhile, Dr. Shuzen is shocked to see that all of the subjects that he injected with Plague aren’t showing any symptoms. Further complicating matters is the imminent arrival of some German delegates who want a tour of the camp.
The Artwork
Will Conradcontinues to capture the bleakness of a POW camp. The best series of panels is James puking the virus out of his system in the evening. Added to this we get a great series of narrative panels in which a Prisoner is shot by the Guards for trying to escape. This leads to Dr. Suzen’s shocking discovery after he examines the results of blood tests taken from the prisoner’s stomach where the guards shot the prisoner.
Overall
Rod Monteiro and Will Conrad continue to deliver an intriguing story. I quite enjoyed how James gets the virus out of his system and his fellow prisoner’s reaction to it. Furthermore, the characterization of Dr. Shuzen makes for a really compelling villain, but I can’t help but wonder if there is someone bigger behind these experiments in Unit 731.
I look forward to finding that out and more in the next issue.
- Story9.8
- Artwork10
- Lettering9.5
- Colours10
