REVIEW: 'Scout's Honor' #2 by David Pepose, Luca Casalanguida, and Matt Milla

  Ever since the bombs fell and the skies turned to nuclear fire, the Ranger Scouts of America have built their religion upon their most sacred law — always be prepared. 

But after discovering a chilling secret in an abandoned bunker, Kit’s belief in the Scout tradition is rocked to the core — yet when a gang of murderous highwaymen breach the Ranger Scout compound, her growing doubts might come at a harrowing cost… 

SCOUT’S HONOR #2 

$3.99 / 32 pages / Color / On sale 02.10.21 

Writer: David Pepose 

Artist: Luca Casalanguida 

Colorist: Matt Milla 

Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual 

Cover: Andy Clarke w/ Jose Villarrubia 

Score: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Last month, 'Scout's Honor' #1 had a remarkable debut. The dystopian thriller from David Pepose, Luca Casalanguida, and Matt Milla made a splash earning a five-star review from us and proving to be one of the best new titles of the year so far. It hit the ground running with a great premise, a fully-realized world, high stakes, and a compromised protagonist. 'Scout's Honor' has all the makings of becoming the next 'Walking Dead' and I don't say that lightly. 

High praise aside, issue #2 still had to prove that the debut was no fluke and I'm happy to report it more than lives up to its set-up. In the Ranger Scout's patriarchal society, girls aren't allowed to become scouts so Kit has to pretend to be a boy and has proven to be the best among them. She's become the favorite of the cult leader even over his own son. The added attention has elevated her status but the scrutiny threatens to expose her secret. On top of that, Kit is harboring new revelations that could upend the belief system that is in place while also reeling from an attack from the badlands marauders known as the Highwaymen. 

As if all that wasn't enough to challenge our hero, Pepose has thrown more at Kit in issue 2. Things get more complicated and messy. The ramp-up is more than she can handle but it reveals a resiliency and rage within the character that is warranted and earned. The series of tribulations for her only increases the tension and anxiety for the reader. There's no drop-off in the second issue, the world-building continues as the action comes to a crescendo by the end. It's a pulse-pounding escalation that will blow you away. It reminds me so much of the emotional and exhilarating beats that 'The Walking Dead' supplied when it started. 'Scout's Honor' has that energy but it's much more focused. 

Luca Casalanguida and Matt Milla continue doing fantastic work on pencils and colors. The pacing is deliberate so the accumulation of twists builds upon each other. The framing of certain scenes is beautifully delivered like great cinematographers. The colors are warm and bold as distinctive as Kit's red hair. It's really a masterful display of comic art totally in sync with the script. 

'Scout's Honor' #2 shows that the series is the real deal. After two issues, it really is an exciting action thriller you can't put down. I liken it to 'The Walking Dead' and I stand by that because it has that kind of energy and engrossing storytelling. The art is great so it has everything a comic fan could want. The series is just getting better and better.