SNOW MONKEY #2 – The Game of Survival

Creative Team – Jason Shaw(writer). Heubert Khan Michael(art). Chuck Obach(colors). Saida Temofonte(letters). Aaron Bartling(cover).

Published by Red 5 Comics

Catch up with Snow Monkey #1 here!

The Story

Following the dynamic first issue of Snow Monkey, the second installment does a fantastic job at continuing the invigorating story. Jennifer is back in school, against her wishes, as she knows she doesn’t belong there. Her new friend, Dominic, seems to care about her much more than Jennifer is used to, which she finds nice. While she’s getting a lecture from her new and supportive friend, there’s a plan in action she isn’t privy to; someone is hunting her down.

While in her new class, Jennifer’s teacher assigns her to a group of students which unfortunately includes a student that isn’t a fan of Jennifer’s by any means. This leads to a screaming match which results in Jennifer being sent to her guidance counselor. The counselor, Miss Erin, turns out to be someone else who is looking out for Jennifer’s best interests at school, even though it wasn’t well received. Jennifer continues to struggle being in the corrupt school that’s ran by her father’s immoral “students”. Jennifer knows that her being at the school was never about her education, but her father’s image.

Wrapping up her meeting with Miss Erin, Jennifer leaves the office. Once she’s in the hallway, gazing at old school student pictures, the plan of the hunt presents itself. What looks like a woman, donned in a green and purple otherworldly suit, attacks Jennifer. It’s very clear that this was a planned attack, as the antagonist says she’s been searching for Jennifer.

Jennifer, who has no idea what’s going on, or who the person is that keeps referring to her as “princess” is, fights back as hard as she can. She comes up short as the evil woman magically traps her in chains that seem to have some out of thin air. Jennifer is completely shocked, terrified, and confused. She is able to run away, accidentally bumping into Dominic, with only one thing on her mind; she has to get her helmet.

The Writing

Snow Monkey #2 does a great job at continuing the exciting story of Jennifer Gaitlin and the ancient helmet of Wukong. Jason Shaw, the writer, somehow finds the perfect balance between making Jennifer relatable while giving her that superhero energy we all love to see in a comic book.

I would love to see more about the helmet of Wukong, and the rich history that comes with it. One of my favorite parts of Snow Monkey #2 is when the parallels are shown between Jennifer and the past warriors who wore the helmet. In this comic, there was a great example of that parallel when Jennifer had to take down the Dragon’s Breath, which was accompanied by a flashback scene from an ancient warrior’s past.

Other than the main character and her story, there are so many different factors that I really am excited to learn more about. Jennifer’s father, Dragon’s Breath, Dominic, and this mystical villain who has taken a huge interest in Jennifer are a few things I look forward to reading more of.

The Art

Heubert Khan Michael, Chuck Obach, and Saida Temofonte continue to impress with their work in Snow Monkey #1, bringing the excitement to life with their incredible artistic talents. Michael, who handles the art of the book, really excels when drawing the fighting panels with Jennifer and whoever her pray may be. The artist makes you feel every bit of the excitement of the battle at hand.

Along with the art, Chuck Obach makes each page stick out more than the last with his phenomenal use of colors throughout the second installment of Snow Monkey. The exclamation point at the end of this beautifully done comic is Saida Temofonte, who handles the letters. Temofonte is able to show so much emotion through each sentence, and makes you feel the power behind the words.

Overall Grade – 8.9/10

Check out Snow Monkey #2 here!

Let me know in the comments what you thought of Snow Monkey #2!

This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Snow Monkey #2, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!