Bliss #2 Review

Writer: Sean Lewis / Artist: Caitlin Yarsky / Image Bliss is a story that feels a little too prescient during these times. In a world that seems to be experiencing several types of calamities concurrently, reading Bliss almost feels simple in comparison. Although, that isn’t to say that it isn’t effective. Bliss very much cuts like a knife, especially at the beginning.

After the bombastic introduction in the last issue, Bliss #2 continues with the narrative frame and we continue with the backstory of our protagonist Benton as he works as the muscle for some back-alley gods. And on one hand, the sympathy that was generated previously carries over. It’s hard not to understand the lengths a father is willing to go through to protect his family. But conversely, Lewis also makes it very clear that Benton did commit unforgivable acts, and Yarsky spared no expense in showing how much blood was shed. It’s an intentional juxtaposition and a difficult line to balance. It’s one thing to understand the motivation, it’s another thing to actually see the consequences of the decisions and that shifts the perspective of the reader and doesn’t shift the perspective of the in-universe mob that already had this information. That’s just good storytelling. However, the fantastical elements that made Bliss #1 so enthralling are toned down a little in the sophomore outing. The surrealistic nightmares that endeared me were replaced with more conventional nightmares about the capacity of humanity to…