I’m All In On Magical Card Playing Horror — Reviewing ‘Arcana Royale #2’

Welcome to the table,

Arcana Royale is one of those really weird comics I get excited to read. I have zero idea what is going to happen with each page turn. Written by Cullen Bunn, with art by A.C. Zamudio and colors by Bill Crabtree, Arcana Royale is the story of Hudson. She’s a card playing risktaker who joins the “Arcanos Mysterinos,” an otherworldly weird horror/strange fiction card tournament that gives one winner all they ever wanted, but seems to take a much bigger buy-in from every player.

Normal disclaimer, Cullen Bunn wrote this, he’s my friend, this does not color my take on his work. What it does mean is that when you have known someone for 20+ years you tend to like the same stuff they like. That, in turn, means I am going to dig where inspiration and tone come from in these sorts of offerings.

There is some solid weird fiction world building happening in this issue. It starts to touch on a lot of the mysteries we were left asking after issue #1. We get a glimpse at Hudson’s past, giving some insight that there is probably some family trauma driving her to make the risky choices she is making.

A.C.’s art is amazing, as always. I really love the way their work spills out on the page, giving the whole thing an almost liquid energy. Bill’s colors elevate the art, giving the book a dreamy feel that lands somewhere between Saturday morning cartoons and late night horror marathons.

This issue also provides us with some new characters and gives a bit of insight to what a previous winner of the “Arcanos Mysterinos” has gained and, in turn, lost.

Existential dread is heavy in each panel as the story unfolds. I think that is where this book shines the most. The characters are not likable but I’m not sure they are supposed to be, at least not yet. I feel like we will eventually feel for Hudson, but as of now, she is making some rash choices and willingly throwing herself into a card game that, by all accounts, can get you killed or something even worse.

A heartfelt reason for her doing all of this is hinted at, but has yet to be revealed. Yet I find myself rooting for her. It’s not because I want her to win necessarily I just want to know more about this god-like level of power that can be conjured by those willing to bet money, time, and abstract concepts at the card table.

I’m still all in. It’s still a fantastic book, but this is purely about world building and seeing where all of this is going more than anything else. Much like the players of this twisted game, the human wreckage is of little concern, I just want to understand the greater mysteries at play.

Until next time, there is a ghost shark… and that is really cool!