Nuclear Family #2 Review

Writer: Stephanie Phillips

Artist: Tony Shasteen

Rating: 6 of 8

Nuclear Family #2

War changes people. For some, it can bring out their very best, parts they might never have known. But for others, it can bring out the very worst - and if war can do that to individuals, what could it do to a whole family? It's something we've got to see explored many times through the years, though usually not with a backdrop quite like this.

Here, an average American family finds themselves dealing with an very different world to the one they're used to, completely unaware of how they got there. It's definitely a familiar concept and though so far there isn't much to set it apart, it's still executed well. Most of the issue's spent on the McCleans dealing with this new world order, one that's decidedly different to both their's and our own.

It's because of this that we don't get to spend a lot of time in this nuclear wasteland, or exploring the mystery at the heart of the comic. In a way, it's understandable, as the soldiers don't have much reason to risk the terrain and given their confusion over the McCleans and their house, a lot of conflict is going to naturally arise. A lot of the McCleans, of course, are a lot more used to their time, so they're not going to readily accept such a drastically new one.

Some of the most striking parts of the comic are definitely in Shasteen's art, which evokes a lot of different feelings throughout. When we finally see the wasteland that Milwaukee's become, you're filled with a feeling of spine-chilling dread - and when we see the underground, the sheer size and array of colour is simply awe inspiring. If there was one criticism I had, it's that I think some of his characters could be inked a little more heavily, as it doesn't look finished as is.

Overall, this is a good comic, let down mainly by little plot progression, or exploration of the world and it's core mystery.