Description
Book Synopsis"This series is one of the smartest, sharpest, and most visually stunning currently out there." -
BooklistWelcome to the "Chicago Organized Workers League"- the world's first Super-Hero Labor Union! While C.O.W.L. once stood as a beacon of hope against an epidemic of organized crime and an unbeatable "brotherhood" of Super-Villains, the union now faces its fiercest foe yet-a disillusioned public. In targeting the last of the great villains, C.O.W.L. attempts to prove its value to the world and to each other, while staving off villainy from both outside and inside its offices.
In Volume 2 of this superb series, super villain threats are a problem of the past, but with a strike on his hands, and scandal on the horizon, Geoffrey Warner has taken drastic steps to breathe life back into the Chicago Organized Workers League. But how far will his false-flag operation reach? Is there any line he won't cross for "the greater good?"
Trade ReviewBOOKLIST (STARRED) -- The first volume of
C.O.W.L. (2014), about a unionized group of superheroes in 1960s Chicago, was arguably one of the best graphic novels of the year for its unique concept and abstract art, and this sequel handily lives up to its predecessor. With the death of a key member of the C.O.W.L. team and the return of supervillains to the streets of Chicago, C.O.W.L. director Warner manipulates city hall into a more favorable union contract, with the rest of the team hanging in the balance and paying the price for his actions. Higgins and Siegel refuse to spin their wheels and instead drive the arc forward with full force, pushing already tested characters to even further limits. At its best,
C.O.W.L. reinforces its narrative that, even in a world of supervillains, the true villains exist in shades of gray, not necessarily purely evil but driven by greed or self-promotion. Reis' artwork does not disappoint, perhaps becoming more appealingly unconventional as he experiments with dynamic color schemes and shading, shifting seamlessly among styles that perfectly suit the scene and elevate the breakneck storytelling. Although it's best to start from the beginning, new readers certainly won't mind, since this series is one of the smartest, sharpest, and most visually stunning currently out there.
