As Fathom moves into volume two, the series takes a turn by covering a subject both topical when it was published and one that splits the focus away from its main attraction.  That subject is war and it is for the fate of their entire race, both the Blue and the Black, beneath the surface of the oceans.  Though volume one did a good job of introducing us to the world Michael Turner created, it is with this second volume that things pick up and become truly exciting.  It not only captures the reader’s interest, but it holds it with widescreen action and drama that is emotional and impactful.

War.  Messy business no matter how you look at it.  Aspen, Cannon, Brande, Siphon, Kiani and the rest of our band are now faced with the most difficult situation they have ever faced.  Battling Killian was one thing, and in the end, he only had the best intentions for his people.  But now they face the human race, or at least Maylander and his men, who want to wipe them from the face of the Earth.  Definitely not an acceptable subject or outcome, and one that not only has our heroes having to contend with the humans, but also their own council who wish to sit back and hope it all just blows over.  Because of this Cannon becomes an outlaw and we learn about a new substance called grey matter which is a form of leftover energy from Killian’s blue sun.  During the course of the series, Aspen must come to terms with her heritage, being of the Blue, the Black and having a human father, at least in spirit.  Her emotional journey is one of many side-plots that are explored in the book, enhancing and deepening our knowledge and experience of their world.  Kiani as well comes into her own, developing powers she never knew she had perhaps becoming one of the mysterious Elite, those that can manipulate water.  And as the series progresses, they must all come together to face their common threat, for alone and separate, they will most surely perish.

As previously mentioned, this series focuses not only on Aspen, but upon other members of the cast as well.  Aspen is still a big part of the book, and we learn more about her motivations and why she refuses to use her powers to their full extent.  The reader gets to explore more of her past, of her time with the captain and of her brother.  Having ties to three different races will make it interesting going forward as a fan to see just where the series will head and what will happen to Aspen as she must come to terms with being torn between them and just where her allegiance will lie.  Also on the receiving end of some character building was Kiani.  She has now become a personality to rival the book’s namesake.  She is strong and fearless, yet distant and angry.  With her gaining new powers and being unafraid to use them, she has seemingly become Fathom’s opposite.  She is just as loved by our cast as Fathom is, but her resentment of Aspen will be an intriguing theme that hopefully will be explored as the title moves onward.

A fair amount of time was spent on Cannon as well, including his very own limited series which tied into this volume of Fathom.  With Cannon trying to protect his people as best he can and then being arrested because of it, it tested his morals and commitment more than anything previously.  The miniseries also detailed Cannon’s battle with Taras, the living mind of his enemy which takes place within his consciousness, a secondary war to the main one raging inside the pages of the main title.  Taras of course wants to take over Cannon’s body so that he might fully live again, but doing so will not only harm Cannon, but his friends as well in the long term and so he fights with everything he has at his disposal.  It is in this mini that we also learn of the grey matter, though its purpose would not become clear until the conclusion of the main book.

The artwork by Koi Turnball and Marcus To was a perfect fit for the books.  Their pencils, while not anywhere near the same as Michael Turner’s, were close enough in composition that it is not a jarring break between the first and second volumes.  The design work is excellent on both characters and costumes, especially on the ones that our heroes sport; Kiani’s being one that comes to mind.  The metal-work that comprises the body armour as well as the arm guard is intricate and is drawn consistently throughout every issue.  The wild mane of hair that Kiani has separates her from every other character in the book as well, delivering a uniqueness that is not as apparent in other figures.  Conversely, Siphon, Cannon and Brande are similar in design with little to distinguish them apart, which is a small thing, but one that could have been worked upon, especially when compared to just how different Aspen and Kiani are.  On a different front, the sea life, which almost seems secondary to everything else going on in the book, is spared no expense and really makes the book all the more beautiful to look at as it seems just as much time was spent on backgrounds as foregrounds.  Inventive and beautiful pencils by To and Turnball.

J.T. Krul along with Michael Turner improved on the first volume of Fathom immensely.  Gone were the bulky narrations and in their place was more focus on our characters in a more traditional manner of comic-book storytelling.  It is not to say that different formats are bad, but this volume was leaps and bounds much more enthralling than the first volume.  The action was intense and panoramic, and the anticipation built from issue to issue keeping the reader hooked from one panel to the next.  Reading a secondary miniseries to get more info on just what is happening within the main book is nothing new to crossovers, but this book was not a crossover and should not have warranted one.  Thankfully, not reading the Cannon Hawke issues did not deprive the audience of anything extremely pertinent, but in reading them you would gain a better understanding of what Cannon’s motivations are, as well as the surprise ending which took place during the final issue of Fathom.  Stellar work by all involved and a must buy in any form for those who are interested in action-packed epics.

4.5 out of 5