Two Ton Rock God #2 Raises The Volume

From the inaugural issue of Two-Ton Rock God, I concluded my review optimistically: “if this is the warm-up, I look forward to seeing what the hell creator Chris Scott’s got for the setlist.” The pages I had read setting up the saga of aspiring string mage Rocket Washington held the energy of a debut album. The second issue left me feeling similarly…but where the first issue set the rhythm, the second slows down the tempo. This isn’t to say that Scott’s Afropunk future has lost a step between issues. At every turn the linework and colorization are still a riot to explore, radiating the boldness of graffiti combined with the energy of animation. Panels feel like condensed murals, especially a full-page spread of Scott’s protagonist darting through a crowd. His characters still exchange dialogue that gives the vibe of a cult classic B-movie: equal parts shonen bombast and self-aware wit. Rocket takes off.   A Little Bit Louder Now A refresher on the occupation of Two Ton Rock God’s prime mover, Rocket: as a string mage, he’s part musician, part Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure-style Stand User. Partnered with a slightly-larger-than-average-human-sized robot called a ‘rhythmech’, string mages take each other on in actual battles of the bands. Rocket’s on a high from last issue after he and his mech pal Moxie achieved their first victory. His head is pulled out of the clouds by the most vocal opponent of the path he’s chosen: his mother. Cassie Washington doesn’t want her son anyw…