Vortex 2.0 Issue #6 – Comic Book Spotlight

Welcome back, Readers! Jim here reviewing the sixth issue of Vortex 2.0! If you’re behind in our
coverage of this fantastic cosmic horror comic, check out Megan Herbold’s reviews; Issues One, Two, Three, and Four! And, you have my review for five right Here. This series is out and available and I recommend heading on over Here, to pick it up if these reviews pique your interest.

Now, let’s head out into space and see what we’re up against.

Basic Synopsis

Last time we left our group of fugitive heroes, they were in an abandoned military base on the supposed vacation planet of Menemsha Bite. Also abandoned, of course. They ran into the sole survivor of the Kilp disaster that caused this planet to be evacuated and quarantined, Dole. He was the man brought here with the Kilp life form inside him. After they’d managed to remove it, it seemed to have no interest in re-infecting him. We see a snapshot of his life in this place, initially hiding himself away before making cautious in-roads into the base to find food and supplies. This is when he finds out that the Kilp have written him off and are content to leave him alone so long as he doesn’t interfere with them.

Of course, interference is a moot issue at this point as the Kilp infected corpses have been shot up, blown up and burned up since Dixon and his merry band arrived on the scene. Consider the situation escalated.

They want to grab whatever files and resources they can to expose this whole situation. A battle with one of the reanimated corpses ensues and we see some injuries. (Not going to spoil who or what.) But we do see the return of the battle mech from earlier! And we get to see the wonderful effects the Kilp have on Earth wildlife imported to Nemensha Bite. (By wonderful I mean, of course, horrifying.) My one question is… you’re creating a beach planet for vacationing and you want to stock the waters with things that are going to lend themselves to that tropical feeling, sure, but has anyone ever laid on a beach with a drink and a hotdog and thought to themselves “Y’know what this place needs? Great White Sharks.”

I’ve never terraformed a planet before so this is the question of a layman, obviously. But I think it deserves answering. Sharks are enough of a danger to beach-goers without an alien infection that increases, strength, speed and regeneration after all.

Munro arrives in the nick of time and we get to see some straight up Lovecraftian horror at the very end.

My Take

As with any of the Storm King comics I’ve read, this is consistently high-quality throughout, the art and writing both. Each character’s personality shines through in the art work and in their dialogue. This issue felt like a bit of a bridge between two larger story beats, and that’s fine. The action and wacky levels of danger and suspense make it just as fun even as it’s just the story of how they escape this environment. And that’s not to say major things don’t happen during the escape! I’m just not going to spoil what those things are.

Now that more of the story has been revealed to us in regards to what the Kilp really are and what they can do, I can’t wait to see our group make it back to the Cag to bust this whole thing wide open. Or maybe they won’t get the chance – this story is very high stakes and no-one is even remotely safe. That’s part of the fun.

All in all, I reiterate to you that if you want a healthy dose of horror in space-faring comic book form? You’re going to want to pick Vortex 2.0 up.

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