At the end of the previous issue, Aspen found her identity exposed to the world. This issue opens with her and Tyler dealing with the fallout of that experience, as a heavily armed squad of police officers arrive at their front door, looking to take Aspen in by any means necessary. With some more creative displays of her powers, Aspen manages to get herself, Tyler, and their pet dog Matilda, out of there and takes them underwater to The Blue’s capital city of MURIA, where we meet Siphon, a high-ranking Elite Council member who is friendly to Aspen and allows Tyler to stay, over the objections of Virydis, who continues to be antagonistic towards Aspen for some reason.

Back on the surface world, we get a scene in Washington D.C., where a Japanese man named Cannon Hawke and his assistant, a woman named Akiko, meet with a U.S. General named Somervill. Apparently the U.S. Government is aware of the existence of The Blue, and there’s been some kind of secret treaty between them, which Cannon (who appears to actually be one of The Blue himself) helped facilitate. But now because of the two attacks in San Diego by Typhos members, the General is considering ending the treaty and holding The Blue responsible, although Cannon tries to convince him that the Typhos are a different race. As Cannon attempts to prevent the start of hostilities between the U.S. and The Blue, the General amasses armed troops along the beaches of the West Coast, to be ready for attack. Then back underwater, we see a group of Typhos warriors, training for battle, as they prepare to strike. And despite knowing that they remain vastly outnumbered by The Blue, they have a plan for success that somehow involves Aspen…

Writer Blake Northcott tones down the action a bit in this issue, to focus more on dramatic scenes, as the tension rises on multiple sides (The Blue, The Typhos, and the U.S. Government). Once again she deftly uses modern technology (in this case, a stand-in for Twitter) to help move the story forward. And she continues to keep the story new-reader friendly. As I said in my review for #1, this is my first exposure to this character and her world. Yet with each issue, as she brings in more characters, such as Cannon Hawke, she manages to reveal just enough information about them, so that new readers like myself feel caught up, while I’m sure that long-time readers appreciate seeing these familiar faces again.

And, as always, the art team of Marco Renna, Mark Roslan, and John Starr (pencils, inks, and colors, respectively) do a stellar job which not only makes this series a joy to read but also to look at. This issue, in particular, gives us our best views of the undersea city of MURIA, and it’s breathtaking (no pun intended). ALL NEW FATHOM continues to be one of the best new titles of the year.

Chacebook rating: 5 STARS

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