When it comes to comics it is rare to find anything original anymore. Most feel like derivatives of another, some more obvious than others. As most creators are fans first, as they come into the field, hoping to create something as inspirational as the works they read. For me personally, I have always been inspired by the likes of Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman, as well as Ed Brubaker, as their ability to reinvent or even remix those tropes and commonly told tales to something magnificent, is truly awe inspiring. The same could be said or many of the men and women who started the houses of Marvel and DC.

As Chris Claremont’s imprint on the X-Men brand can still be felt to today’s comics and who would have though that the last time he worked on the book, not too many people have ever heard of characters like Wolverine and Magneto, fast forward to today, and they are synonymous with popular culture. The same can be said Alan Moore, whose reach into Swamp Thing, is still the character’s most redefining work, and has been as the gold standard of how to write a character exploration. Rarely, do newcomers possess this gravitas when they first start in comics, as it usually comes with time and experience. One such group at Inhiatus Studios, have not only bucked that trend but are setting new standards as they create new material, as they prove in their second major collections, Shards Volume Two.

In “Cache”, in a world where humans and and robots look alike, we meet a young man wakes up not knowing who he is, where he is and what happened to him, finds help from a bartender, as they fight off smugglers and those who think our hero is more than meets the eye.  In “Bob and Weave”, we meet two friends and learnt their origin story, as their relationship is more complicated than it looks. In “Perilous”, a young man finds out he is an angel, as he gets recruited in a war between werewolves and angels. In “Be A Man, Man”, we follow a prison guard as he goes on his day at work and finds some semblance of normality at home. In “The Dragon’s Kin”, an indentured servant finally gets her freedom but may have lost a love that she never knew she wanted. Lastly, in “Flipside”,we follow a young couple formt he first time they met to possibly their last?

Overall, it’s a masterful collection of stories that are both personal and fantastical at the same time leaving readers with both a sense of awe at times and lightheartedness at times. The stories by the creators are pleasurable, action packed, well developed in story and characters and definitely written for comic book fans. The art by the creators is gorgeous and vivid. Altogether, the stories told in this collection feel fresh, familiar and most importantly, fun.

Story: Benjamin Langston, Andy Niggles, Gabriel Peralta, Danielle Rueda, Digo Salazar, Curtis Slow
Art: Auskey, Don Ellis Aguillo, Bianca Lesaca, Digo Salazar, Liliana Vazquez-Song, Andrea Vidrine, Tristan Yuvienco
Story: Don Ellis Aguillo, Kimberly Moss, Matthew Ng, Pip Reyes, Raf Salazar
Story: 9.6 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy