At the end of the first issue, Detective Harvey Slater receives the news of the death of his former partner, Ken Collins. In addition to that, he and Bonnie Brae are left with the now deceased Detective McDowell. HIT #2 opens up with some flashbacks to give readers a clearer picture of what happened between Slater and Collins. From there the story opens up and we see how some of the relationships work as well as some story progression.
There are a few things going on in this issue but it never feels overwhelming. Bryce Carlson presents several elements but his pacing keeps the story moving forward. Typically in stories of this nature the leading lady is depicted as being unable to stand on her own. Carlson avoids having the "damsel in distress" by including another segment, similar to the ending of issue #1, showing readers Bonnie is capable of handling business. The only problem I really had with this issue is that an unexpected moment seems somewhat glossed over rather quickly. That could just be an effect of telling a short story.
Vanesa R. Del Rey's style is reminiscent of old-school pulp comics and it's a perfect match for this genre. Her characters are distinct. Her panels carry a nice flow from one to the next. Archie Van Buren uses a flatter color palette which helps convey the story well. Teaming Del Rey with Van Buren is like giving readers a time-machine to travel right back to 1950's Los Angeles. Van Buren gets a bit more involved early on during the flashback with a subtle change in the coloring. I always appreciate that when you're dealing with multiple time periods. It distinguishes those while allowing the artists a bigger role in the storytelling.
HIT #2 is another quality issue in this tale of crime. While reading this issue, I briefly thought of it as an ongoing. I was quickly reminded this is only a mini and that we're halfway through it. If you're a fan of cop stories, crime fiction or just good storytelling, you'll enjoy this issue.
Score: 4.5/5
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