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Written by: Jason Loo
Art by: Rafael Loureiro
Colors by: Java Tartaglia
Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover art by: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: October 23, 2024
Dazzler #2, by Marvel Comics on 10/23/24, sends the mutant musician to London for her next stop, but a scheduled appearance on a talk show set doesn’t go as planned.
Is Dazzler #2 Good?
What a difference a month makes. Dazzler #2 won’t be nominated for any awards, mainly due to the simplistic plot and general lack of urgency, but it’s monumentally less tone-deaf and offensive than the previous issue. Maybe writer Jason Loo chose to get all his talking points out of his system all at once, or perhaps the editors decided to adjust the second issue in response to the first. Either way, Dazzler #2 isn’t terrible.
When last we left the mutant songstress in Dazzler #1, Alison Blaire enlisted a gaggle of mutants to be part of her tour group to bring love and tolerance to the world through her music. Her unwavering commitment to inclusivity and encouraging everyone to be out and proud ran into a hiccup when she was attacked on stage by Scorpia. The villain was defeated, but who hired the insect-presenting villain to attack in the first place?
In Dazzler #2, we begin immediately where the last issue left off. Scorpia only divulges she attacked Dazzler to receive a hefty payout on behalf of an anonymous benefactor, and the bounty is now public, ensuring Dazzler will be harassed at every stop on her tour. Dazzler takes the news in stride.
Learning that someone has placed a bounty on your head is no small thing, but Jason Loo writes this development as a “been there, done that” scenario for Dazzler. In short, the mystery is set, but the level of urgency and seriousness is lacking.
The next day, Dazzler stops at a talk show in London (the Marvel version of the Graham Norton Show) to answer questions and pump up enthusiasm for her tour. The interviewer asks a few inappropriate questions to get Dazzler’s dander up, but after a quick apology and a commercial break, Dazzler caps the appearance with a song.
Suddenly, Dazzler’s powers spin out of control due to an obvious case of mind control. Domino leaps into action to stop Dazzler out of the daze with a slap to the face, and she quickly deduces the mind controller in question is a nearby stagehand. Dazzler and Domino chase the stagehand down and learn he was coerced into making Dazzler look bad in front of a television audience by an anonymous source who threatened his family.
The issue ends with Lila Cheney making a teleporting cameo appearance to help Dazzler get to her next tour stop.
What’s great about Dazzler #2?
At the risk of making a backhanded compliment, Jason Loo’s script is not nearly as awkwardly painful and offensive as issue #1. The dialog is better, the mystery surrounding a secret enemy takes center stage (no pun intended) for more interest, and the outcome of the conflict is relatively solid. Dazzler #2 is by no means a great comic, but it’s worlds better than issue #1.
What’s not great about Dazzler #2?
Despite being surrounded by powerful mutants and a verifiable threat, Dazzler doesn’t appear to be taking the knowledge of a bounty on her head with much seriousness or urgency. If someone with money and connections places a bounty on your head, the first thing you do is call for help, not brush it off like resistance is just part of the deal of being an out and proud mutant.
If the main character doesn’t take the threat against her too seriously, why should you?
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Dazzler #2 is a significant improvement over issue #1, mainly for being significantly less tone-deaf and offensive. Jason Loo’s script sets up a mildly interesting mystery, and Rafael Loureiro’s art looks great. Dazzler #2 won’t be anyone’s pick of the week, but it should earn an award for most improved.
5.8/10
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