Fight Club 2 comes to an end this issue. Like a truly talented escape artist, the interest was not in how Chuck Palahniuk would escape the death-trap he had placed himself in last issue but rather in being there to witness his spectacular and gruesome death.

And, like a truly talented escape artist, he somehow managed to pull it off.

Years of stale marriage between Marla Singer and Sebastian led to the return of Sebastian’s alter-ego, social-terrorist Tyler Durden. Tyler kidnapped their son, demonstrating his ability to transcend the bounds of his old host and live immortal as an idea. Sebastian and Marla each pursued their own leads to track down and save their son from the growing threat of Rize or Die, Tyler’s own private army. Though they each reached their son, they failed to stop Tyler’s plan to destroy the world in order to grow a new one.

After the last issue, there was a sense of anger and betrayal that accused Palahniuk of self-indulgence. In the final pages, the writer began communicating directly with Sebastian in order to save the day. That filthy term “deus ex machina” may have been used once or twice. In fact, the climax to the story felt like a great disappointment considering the caliber of the story until that point.

Reading issue ten was like sitting on the couch until sunrise, knowing your roommate went out, got drunk, wrecked your car and had sex with your girlfriend. It was like drinking cup after cup of increasingly stale coffee to see what he would have to say for himself when he walked in the door confused and embarrassed.

It was like having your roommate walk in clear-headed and calm and explain to you exactly what he had one.

Then you sit there, take one more sip and say, “Okay… I get that.”

Last month, I told people to pass on issue #9. There really seemed to be no explanation to redeem the frustration I felt having read the climax after all my eager anticipation. This pre-release review, this spoiler-absent review, is intended to assure you that if you did pass on issue #9 and do not plan to buy #10, you should make amends now.

Fight Club 2 #10 does not expunge what happened last issue. In fact, it further breaks from traditional storytelling, especially within the comic medium. However, it’s direction is challenging precisely in the way a real story should be challenging. It is an organic and authentic progression that makes clear the disappointment and frustration that came in the last issue was just the death pangs of leaving behind the confines the story still lived in. It has become, like Tyler, something more.

Need more convincing? Ask in the comments or on Twitter and I will assure you.

Story: Chuck Palahniuk Art: Cameron Stewart
Story: 9 Art: 8 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review