Review: Snow Blind #2
I am a Hip-Hop head who is frequently visiting my comic book store. I am a cartoon watcher, vinyl record digger, comic book collector.
Snow Blind #2 by Boom! Studios has recently been released and our own Sammy Rendon is here to break down this interesting detective story for you in our ComiConverse review.
Snow Blind reads like a crime novel in a glorious comic book format, by writer Ollie Masters and art by Tyler Jenkins. In issue one the ending left us in a suspenseful and concerning cliffhanger, leaving readers counting down the days to issue two's release.  So let's get right into it in this months Snow Blind, issue 2 of 4.
(Spoiler Alert)
Synopsis:Â
Snow Blind begins with Teddy Ruffins in bandages and waking up in a hospital bed from the aftermath of a car crash. Billy and Jen Ruffins his parents, are sitting bedside. When Teddy wakes he begins to immediately defend himself and his actions. Not wanting to tell them what he was really doing, he makes up a lie that both his parents seem to buy into. What Teddy was actually doing was following his father Billy, where he was reminiscing in a secluded cabin with a photo of him and his twin brother. The Ruffins family then share a sweet, caring moment that would have never had happened if not for the crash.
Teddy is then released from the hospital and reduced to crutches and bed bound. What we quickly learn about Teddy is he can't let go of his suspicions, once his curiosity is engaged. He then taps the house phone to further his investigation on his family. In issue #1, we learned that Billy, Teddy's father had a twin brother and that his family relocated to Alaska by the witness protection agency. Teddy begins making his way into town asking if anyone has noticed the man in the photo of his father and twin brother; Teddy believes his fathers twin is the person who broke into his house. Before investigating further on a lead he gets from a local resident, police detain him and take him home.
Teddy begins to realize that word gets around quickly in a small town and his detective skills don't match the characters he reads in his P.I. novels. Bill, drawing the conclusion that his son wont leave this alone, begins telling him the reason why they were relocated and put in witness protection. Teddy quickly takes the blame for the mess, but still has a hunch his family is continuing to lie to him. Teddy sneaks out and follows up on the lead he had. He heads over to the motel where a man who fit the description Teddy was searching for is renting a room.
What follows is something I will leave for those who haven't read this book, but I will say this, after reading the last page I was in kept turning the page in disbelief that the issue was over.
By the end we are fully invested in this book!
Analysis:
Snow Blind has converted me into a believer that, when done properly, a crime comic book can be pulled off well. In the comic book genre, where super heroes are usually around to save the day, we expect them to quickly come to the rescue, but sadly realize they don't exist in the real world. In Snow Blind the characters feel like they are real people facing dangerous, life or death situations, something the reader can identify with, making this book so intense. We are given incomplete information and so our understanding of whats going on is limited; which plays well into this great crime and mystery plot.
In the beginning, its unclear who is the antagonist in this story, but by the end of this book we get a sense of who is. This issue is so much fun because it leaves it open for discussion and so many theory's will run past you.
I was very reluctant on picking up this book because crime isn't exactly my point of interest, but I am here to tell you to go read this book, it's a great story.  By this point, we are fully invested into this series but with only two more issues left I am wondering how they are going to fit enough to come to a satisfying conclusion.
On art we have Tyler Jenkins who has an amazing water-color-esque style that gives this story a great independent feel. With most comic books now being drawn digitally, its very refreshing to see ink and color come back to comic books. I love that there are even panels where colour leaks out of the border, but are still kept in the published version.
I am excited to see where Tyler Jenkins will take his talents after this book is done being published. I would love to see X-Men drawn up by him.
For the script, we have Ollie Masters, he does a great job in not giving us just a situation, but a story that unfolds in front of us. His characters feel like real people and the danger they encounter is straight out of the year's best crime novel. The way Ollie Masters writes in Snow Blind I feel he could write an amazing script for Batman and bring that detective-type instincts back into that character.
Snow Blind #2 is a heart pounding read from start to finish that escalates at every page.
With only two more issues left in the series, it's going to be exciting to see how Ollie Masters will pull this one-off.
IÂ can't predict at all whats going to happen and I wouldn't have it any other way.
If you have read these issues, what do you think is going to happen?
ComiConverse with us in the comment section below.
Published: January 13, 2016
Rating: Rated M
Writer:Â Ollie Masters
Cover Artist:Â Tyler Jenkins
Sammy Rendon is a Contributor to ComiConverse. Follow him on Twitter:Â @Hip_HopNerd
Suspensful
A great page turner of an issue. This story keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you guessing.