More Moody Mysteries And Espionage Thrills — ‘Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy’ #2 Reviewed

What seems on the surface to be a hangover from the Cold War, with a Russian agent found dead in London, is clearly much more than just that when the Black Tower are involved. It would seem that when it comes to matters of the supernatural, borders don’t necessarily hold, and old alliances are stronger than any politician’s stance. Leaders of the East and West come and go, but magic is forever. And often dark. And when it’s forgotten, it festers and grows. Which seems to be the case here. And “now is the time for monsters” once again.  

And we meet one such monster in this issue, the Ozel, who can kill people in their dreams. Think Freddie Krueger, but without the jokes and scars. And that’s where new recruit and ESPer Daniel Burroughs comes into play, in another dark script from Ram V, channelling John Le Carré with a splash of Steven King. This is an old-school espionage thriller with the supernatural only making things far more complicated.

This issue, as with the debut issue, creates a moody, paranoid atmosphere where your assassin can appear from anywhere, including your dreams! The added supernatural element only heightens these tensions, with Mike Perkins’ brooding artwork sustaining this prevailing mood. Mike Spicer’s painterly colours seal the deal, with washed-out colours perfectly capturing London grease and grime, itself a reflection of the storyline unfolding. It’s a well-realised mise-en-scène from the dialogue, character designs and page layouts.

The plot thickens, and the body count is slowly building. It’s definitely a baptism of fire for Daniel Burroughs, and it’s only going to get worse, judging by the predicament he gets himself into in this issue.

Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #2 is out now from DC Comics/Vertigo.