The Horror Delightfully Continues in Asylum Volume 2

Posted by Sophia Horn on October 4, 2016

The Breakdown

Storm King Productions released their second volume of the highly praised Asylum series, a story of good versus evil and all that is dark and twisted. Asylum is created by John Carpenter, Sandy King and Thomas Ian Griffith. Volume 2 is written by Sandy King (President, Storm King Productions) and Trent Olsen. The amazingly detailed and demonic art is provided by Tom Mandrake (Martian Manhunter, The Spectre) and Leonardo Manco (War Machine, Hellstorm).

Elevator Pitch

Asylum is a fresh take on a tale as old as time. The constant struggle between good and evil is brought to life with amazing artwork and writing. A priest and detective duo tackle the evil doings of mankind and their connection to the underworld, while still dealing with their own personal demons. The uncensored plot and graphic illustrations will immediately draw the attention of horror enthusiasts.

The Verdict

To be honest, my initial expectations for Asylum were not very high. There are a lot of film and Hollywood names on the cover, which rarely adds up to a genuinely groundbreaking comic. After seeing how well the first volume was received, my attention sparked.

Asylum, unexpectedly, did not disappoint.

Although the plot of angels and demons can be a bit played out, I was extremely surprised with how new this storyline felt. The writing and layout made it extremely easy to jump right in while connecting on an emotional level with complex characters and scenarios.

The Whole Story

The first volume of Asylum has a whole background of story and character development to tell, but if you’re jumping in blindly into volume two (like yours truly), it is not impossible to follow.

The reader jumps back and forth between two highly stress-inducing, totally different, but wonderful stories in this series that end up intertwining.

The main storyline follows Beckett and Duran. Beckett is what seems to be a non-traditional hot tempered priest. His partner Duran, a not-so-religious detective with a heart of gold, is just trying to figure out what the hell is happening and why he’s witnessing demonic possessions, angels and other inexplicable phenomenon.

This volume follows their investigation into mysteriously disappearing and dying children in the Midwest. The plot suggests that these actions might be dealing with a higher level of evil.

The Details

Asylum Vol. 2 is now available at your local book shops or digitally on Amazon! This compilation contains issues 7-14 with some bonus materials, sketches, covers and other goodies. Check out Storm King Productions for more news and single issues on the Asylum series.

UPDATE!

Trailer for John Carpenter’s Asylum premiered for one day only at New York Comic Con. Storm King Productions released the global trailer to display their second volume of the award winning Asylum series.

About Sophia Horn

A lover of all things nerdy, Sophie is generally found perusing comic book shops or googling the nearest donut spots. Impassioned Star Wars conversations, nostalgic retro gaming, and discussing old-school hip hop as if it was fine wine are some of her favorite things.