Advance Review: ‘The Trillion Dollar Kid’ #2 Establishes A True, Shared Ghost Machine Universe

Since the debut issue, a lot has happened in the life of our titular lead character, with a crossover that has seen him team up with Hornsby and Halo as well as the futuristic Rockefellers, all in the hopes of finding his family and preventing a robot war from happening. And all quickly and economically dealt with in just a few pages and a little bit of exposition. So, with being all caught up, the remaining issue brings this Ghost Machine crossover to an end with everyone working together to try and turn Tommy Townsend III’s robot servant back from a path to destruction.

As a comic book seemingly aimed at a younger readership — what with so many of the cast of characters being close to Tommy’s age — the dialogue reflects this. Writers Geoff Johns and Peter J Tomasi create a back-and-forth pace between them all, buoying the issue and the action along, while artist Stefano Simeone provides energetic artwork that only at times seems to be too undefined to follow smoothly. The lack of strong black outlines may create more of an animated style, but it also means the lack of definition allows some panels to be confusing to follow. 

But what it does a good job of is in establishing this new line of superheroes, the Unbelievables, as members of a shared universe. Something I felt the original line-up of Ghost Machine’s titles failed to do because of the various eras they were set in. This feels like a more connected universe from the start. 

It’s a fast-paced issue, which is appropriate for a grand finale, but maybe too fast-paced, as the way the Robot War of the future is prevented seems to be sewn up too quickly, leaving plenty of room for the denouement and the teasing of future storylines in the Unbelievables universe. 

A solid issue, with some niggles, but penetrating and enjoyable nonetheless. 

The Trillion Dollar Kid #2 is out on Wednesday 12th August from Image Comics/Ghost Machine