I Love it When A Plan Comes Together — Reviewing ‘Operation Sunshine’ #2

Welcome to the table,

I dig a heist story. Oceans 11, Now You See Me, Lupin III… It’s always fun with a group of skilled individuals who come together and try and pull off something wild by taking a thing that has heavy security and lots of guards and traps. The problem solver in me enjoys it when a plan comes together, as it were.

I like a heist story even more when monsters and magic artifacts are in the mix and Operation Sunshine from Dark Horse is serving that in spades.

Brought to us from the NYT bestselling hosts of The Last Podcast on the Left, Henry Zebrowski and Marcus Parks, and Black Hammer‘s David Rubín, this really fun and original take on vampire lore and heist stories is a surprise hit for me in my pull box.

Issue #2 of Operation Sunshine continues to develop this strange world where vampires and political factions engage in a shadow war with each other. In a lot of ways, what I really enjoyed from the Men In Black franchise feels like it is present here without a lot of the other stuff that feels way out of left field. Even when the monsters and secret shipments of blood come into play everything feels grounded.

That’s in no small part due to David Rubín and colorist K.J. Diaz‘s work on this title. The story is phenomenal. The writers deserve their flowers for sure, but I would be woefully remiss if I did not call out how much of a vibe David and K.J. are creating in this book.

The vibrant colors and shape language used in this book fill every page with something worth looking at. So far, the easter eggs and fun little window dressings that litter the crowded rooms, city streets, and strange storefronts make the world feel lived in and strange, without removing the anchors that make it feels tangible and casting it into the winds of chaos where it could easily become just another “silly story.”

The witty dialog, coupled with the vibrant, but balanced art gives the whole book a vibe that is wholly unique and makes it stand out like a crimson splatter on a freshly printed newsprint. I find myself wanting the next issue just to see where this unhinged story is going. I know fully well I’m going to read this issue for a fourth time just to see if I catch all the strange little oddities stuffed within its pages.

Until next time, if you are not reading this book and you enjoy vampires, weird monsters, and delightful heist stories… go pick this up and give it a try. I’ve used the word delightful… that should be all you need to know.