The Black Forest 2

The Black Forest 2 (2005) Todd Livingston, Robert Tinnell, Neil Vokes

I read The Black Forest in January, and liked it. We’d picked up The Black Forest 2, but I’d somehow forgotten we had it, but when I was putting Hellraiser away, I noticed it and picked it up.

Although it took me a bit to get back into the story, (It had been several months since I read The Black Forest) once I finally remembered it didn’t take too long to get back into the tale. Archie and Jack are back at the Castle, captured by a different scientist who is also attempting to use science to control nature and help the German Kaiser win the war.

Like The Black Forest I liked and enjoyed The Black Forest 2. My only complaint is that the story was very short–only 48 pages. I’d just gotten into the story and then it was over.

One of the things I like best about The Black Forest is that the art work is entirely in black and white. It makes the gruesome bits a little less gruesome, which I am thankful for, since I’m not particularly fond of gruesome. I think it also makes scenes a little more powerful. I’m not sure whether it’s the color or the drawing, but I think that the eyes of the characters particularly stand out. Especially Ilsa.

Although the story is brief, I found it enjoyable. The tale moved at a good pace, and everything made sense. In some ways, the shorter format is an advantage, because everything is pared down, and there’s no room for confusing, diverging, story lines. I’m a big fan of short stories, and this follows more closely the short story format, which may be why I like it so well.

If you haven’t read The Black Forest, you probably don’t want to start with The Black Forest 2, but you will want to go back and read The Black Forest, and then come back and read this.
Rating: 7/10

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