Review: Resurrection Man Vol. 2- A Matter of Death and Life

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline details an exciting investigation into an intriguing mystery. The conclusion of the volume is great and provides a surprising answer to the questions asked throughout this series.

Cons: The Suicide Squad crossover feels unnecessary.

Overall: Although the first volume of this series was plagued with problems, the conclusion to this series is so good that it might make up for it. This collection details the thrilling exploits of a hero looking for answers. Then, as the volume and series come to a close, these answers are revealed in the best way possible. It is a satisfying conclusion with a unique twist at the end. Anyone who read the previous volume will find this to be an incredibly satisfying way to complete this character’s saga.

Story

Resurrection Man Vol. 2: A Matter of Death and Life, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, is a tremendous improvement on the previous volume and a great conclusion to this series. It streamlines and focuses the scattered plotline of the previous volume and centers it on the Resurrection Man’s quest for answers. The journey to these answers is exciting and the final reveal is so well done that it makes up for many of the series’ earlier mistakes. Overall, this is a solid collection that gives this series a great conclusion.

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The most significant improvement that A Matter of Death and Life makes over Dead Again (Review) is streamlining the narrative. Instead of having plotholes scatter the overall story, this volume focuses entirely on Mitch Shelley’s personal story and the mystery that it entails. It makes for a better reading experience in both the pursuit of mystery and the eventual reveal.

This improvement allows the bulk of the collection, Mitch’s investigation into his own origins, to be more exciting than ever before. His battles with angels and assassins feel more significant because the fights have a sense of continuity. It also helps that these fights are written in a creative way that showcases Mitch’s powers.

However, the best part of this entire collection comes in the final two chapters, where all of the questions are answered. It turns out that the villain who has been hunting down Mitch this entire time has been the real Mitch Shelly. This villain explains that the Mitch readers have been following this entire time is not the real Mitch, he is a new person regenerated from the discarded arm of the old Mitch. It is a completely unexpected twist that fits perfectly into the greater narrative of the series and is wonderfully satisfying to experience. This villainous Mitch is then dispatched by the armies of angels sent to kill the benevolent Mitch, providing a worthwhile conclusion to both story arcs. This conclusion is so fun to read that it mostly makes up for the lackluster quality of the first volume and helps save the quality of this series as a whole.

The biggest problem with this collection is that the Suicide Squad crossover feels unnecessary. Their involvement here does little to advance Shelley’s overall story and their presence does not provide many positives. Even the cliffhanger ending of this crossover does not end up playing a part at all later on. This crossover isn’t terrible but it does interrupt the flow of an otherwise good story.

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Art

The story is not the only element that improved in the transition from Vol. 1 (Review) to Vol. 2. The artwork in this collection looks good and removes the extreme sexualization that was present in the previous volume. This collection’s artists, including Jesús Saíz, Javier Piña, Fernando Dagnino, and Ramon Bachs, provide a surprisingly consistent visual style, especially considering the number of people working on it. They also all manage to do well in giving the characters good levels of detail and ensuring that the Resurrection Man’s powers are as unique looking as ever. This still isn’t a series with art that will blow readers away but it is an average looking volume devoid of most major flaws.

Continuity

Resurrection Man Vol. 2: A Matter of Death and Life continues the story from Resurrection Man Vol. 1: Dead Again (Review).

The story here does not continue in any other comic.

This volume also makes a reference to another comic book, detailed below:

• The beginning of this volume contains a tie-in with the beginning of Suicide Squad Vol. 2: Basilisk Rising (Review).