Avery’s got issues. He’s still hearing voices and the mutant threat is growing. He decides to take his mind off of matters by attending an M-City Rockets game – but that’s when things get really interesting! Randall continues his beef and pets are disappearing like hot cakes.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first issue of this series, and now I’ve picked up #2. The creative team of writers Omar Bilal & Todd Threats and artist Mike Werner have returned to continue the story of Franklin Avery, a widowed police officer in the futuristic Meta City, dubbed “M-City”, where humans exist alongside aliens and mutant monsters. As the story opens Franklin is down and depressed, and occasionally seeing images and hearing the voice of his deceased wife, Gwen. Then the mayor of the city calls Franklin and invites him to go with him to a sports game that night, which Franklin reluctantly accepts. The game takes place in what looks like a football arena, and the sport involves a giant ball, but I don’t know what it’s called. Franklin and the mayor are cheering for the home team, the M-City Rockets, when there’s an explosion in the arena. A group of men in suits, looking like Secret Service agents, arrive to take the mayor to safety, but when Franklin notices them taking him in the wrong direction, he confronts them, and they reveal themselves to be mutants, lead by the mutant villain Killgore, whom we say torturing some of his henchmen earlier in the issue. Franklin leaps to the defense of the mayor, easily dispatching them with his enhanced strength and speed (from the robotic implants he received last issue), and the crowd starts cheering him on, as if it’s part of the game. A newscast covering the event dubs Franklin the M-City Defender, but when one Mutant uses some kind of powers to drop Franklin to his knees and abduct the mayor, the crowd turns on Franklin and start booing him and calling him a bum.

Back at the police HQ, Franklin is harassed by an arrogant office, her taunts him for losing the mayor in front of the city. When the officer, Randall, mocks the death of Franklin’s wife, Franklin snaps and beats the crap out of him and breaks his wrist. Franklin leaves, and is back home several days later, still wallowing in regret, as a new officer arrives to take over the police division and lead the hunt to rescue the mayor.

So this issue ends on a cliffhanger and I, for one, hope the creators are someday able to continue this story, as I am enjoying it so far. Chacebook rating: 4 STARS.

Available for purchase via INDYPLANET