Nearly drowning in the Amazon, reporter Kate Marsden caught a glimpse of a mysterious aquatic creature while looking for serial killer Darwin Collier. Similar to Kate, returning Doctor Thompson and his assistant Christiano have been investigating a series of mysterious drownings in the region and believe it to be the work of the Gill-Man. Kate, firmly on the trail of murderer Collier, thinks he is behind it. With mysterious black sand found in the latest corpse, the trio heads to the lagoon to discover the identity of the killer. Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 by Dan Watters, Ram V, and Matthew Roberts dives into the murky waters of this murder mystery. 

The lines between humanity and monstrosity get blurred as the characters not only question who can commit such horrific murders but also how they see the Gill-Man as well. Considering how Collier nearly killed Kate by drowning her while back, she understands how horror can exist in humans and cannot accept the notion of a monster genuinely existing. Thompson, who survived the events with the Creature from the first film, only sees a mindless killer monster who lacks humanity and needs to capture it to learn its secrets, akin to Ahab. Then comes Christiano, a local to the region, who understands and respects the power of the Creature. Lastly arrives Collier, who sees the Creature’s killing as a beautiful sight to behold. These differing and conflicting opinions demonstrate the extended staying power of the Universal Monsters, where the Creature can be as monstrous as he can be sympathetically human. The monster exists as a screen for the reader to place their fears, anger, joy, and other emotions to see what they believe exists within the Gill-Man. Much like the rivers it lies in, one only has to look in the water and see what it reflects.

Dan and Ram also evoke the original movie through mirrored moments. They never replicate or recreate said moments but hearken back to the powerful imagery, such as the Gill-Man swimming underneath the boat, Thompson wanting to find the Creature for scientific reasons, or the Creature falling in love with Kate. These aspects never come across as a rehash since they feel earned and essential to Dan and Ram’s narrative. With the comic acting as a sequel to the original, it makes sense to listen back to these famous moments, but they always do so with a twist. More importantly, Kate’s not knowing the Gill-Man and believing him to be imaginary adds a wrinkle to that relationship. 

Matthew’s art and colorist, Dave Stewart, continue their incredible work in this issue as they go from the gorgeous natural lagoon in the Amazon to moments of horrific action of the Gill-Man murdering a Narcos. Their paring brings a lush beauty mixed with shocking moments of violence to the comic that aligns with what came before in the original film. With letterer DC Hopkins, Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 is an immaculate work of art perfectly encapsulates why we became enamored and attached to the property. 

Dan, Ram, and Matthew have delivered another phenomenal issue that fully lives up to the legacy of the iconic monster. Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 accomplishes what every successful sequel does: build upon the original’s foundations and take the material in interesting new directions. The issue serves on both accounts as a love letter for long-time fans and an introduction to new people. Dan, Ram, and Matthew show that you can never kill the Gill-Man since he will keep swimming and re-emerge from the depths.  

Story: Dan Watters and Ram V Art: Matthew Roberts 
Color: Dave Stewart Letterer: DC Hopkins
Story: 9.6 Art: 9.6 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Read

Skybound provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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