Wyrd No. 2 review: Power-mad politicians and more dirty jobs

The bad guys take the bacon in the latest issue of Wyrd.

Dark Horse might not have the flashiest, most hip comics out there, but they certainly have an excellent stable of amazing titles, from the Aliens franchise to several independent creators, like the great team at Wyrd. Telling the tales of a man who can’t die, author Curt Pires, illustrator Antonio Fuso, colorist Stefano Simeone and letterer Micah Myers have slapped together something quite unique. Calling on the histories of several famous comic runs, our main character Wyrd is a blend of detective, wizard, alcoholic, and spy, who takes missions from a shadowy government agency in between trying new ways to kill himself, none of which seem to work.

Dark Horse Comics

Satanic megalomaniac politicians are nothing new for Wyrd

Last issue, we were introduced to Wyrd, who defeated a corrupted super-soldier program in Crimea, and we learned that he hasn’t aged since at least WWII. This issue starts out with the British Prime Minister joining a cult and becoming a full member by getting intimate with a pig in a church. The parallels between this scene and one from Black Mirror are a little too close, so that’s minus one point for such blatant copying. Wyrd gets the case file on the Prime Minister, who is messing around with national security, and prepares to fight through the Prime Minister’s private security force to assassinate him. Jumping out of a plane without a parachute, Wyrd lands feet first on a guard and makes short work of the remaining guards. When it’s just the two of them left, the Prime Minister attacks Wyrd head on, shooting mystical bolts of lightning from his fingertips. Wyrd, who apparently can’t be hurt, takes the shock, as he closes in, wrapping his hands around the Prime Minister’s neck and snapping it, while his flesh burns and he sizzles.

Dark Horse Comics

Wyrd is a guy who’s been through a lot

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With his head still smoking, Wyrd insults the dead Prime Minister, drinks his gin, and there that story ends, very Hellblazer-like. In a flashback to WWII, Wyrd and his pregnant wife are fleeing wartime Germany when they are stopped and almost killed by Nazis, only to be saved by some random person with a gun who drops the classic “come with me if you want to live” line, another blatant cultural reference that somehow adds a point back. Then a flash forward occurs, and we’re in 2049, in Europe, where Wyrd gets wasted and shoots himself in the head, to no effect, giving us the distinct impression that he doesn’t want to be alive. Perhaps it’s a curse. The future is colored in washed-out blues that clarify how unhappy of a scene it is, which is a nice touch. We’re then treated to a backup story by Pires and Rockwell White, with art by Martoz. Wyrd heads out to the Arizona desert to destroy a time-traveling city stolen from a secret government program led by a Hunter S. Thompson character. It’s a kooky tale, showcasing how strange things have gotten for Wyrd.

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The fact that so many influences are clearly visible seems to be intentional, and it’s hard to tell if it’s a good thing or not. The influences themselves are good series, but perhaps the character of Wyrd is trying too hard to resemble those famous people. A few more issues should settle that story, and either way, the pacing and art are fantastic. So it’s not too big of a deal. 8.6/10, a decent recommendation to all weird sci-fi friends. Let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

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