"Hack/Slash Omnibus Volume 2" by Tim Seeley (published 2009)

After reading and loving Hack/Slash Omnibus Volume 1, I decided I might as well purchase Hack/Slash Omnibus Volume 2. It was definitely worth my money. I’ve heard that many comics struggle to keep audience attention after their first release. One theory is that perhaps since the second release is, many times, no longer an “origin story”, writers begin to lose the sense of plot, and thus character development suffers as well. This is not the case for Hack/Slash. 

Cassie Hack returns with a vengeance, still side-by-side with Vlad, the monstrous but gentle man (if not engaged in a fight) that she calls her friend. There are eleven stories presented in this volume, and they run together seamlessly. Cassie and Vlad continue to fight the slashers (a.k.a. Revenants) as this is their raison d’etre; they would like to save as many people as possible from the hands of these reanimated, angry, corpses. Cassie and Vlad encounter a psychotic psychologist, a rock and roll band that has sold their souls to the devil, a doctor trying to resuscitate a previous Ms. America, an evil preacher killing young “sinners”, a group of college women emulating Elizabeth Bathory (a 15th century serial killer), just to name a few. These stories are all unique and independent stories and they introduce different characters to the mix, some which stay on throughout the graphic novel and some of which do not. The artwork is done by different artists for each story, and is nothing short of phenomenal. 

Those who have come to care about Cassie Hack will be interested in this volume’s exploration of Cassie’s previously unmentioned father. Throughout these stories she hears word of him and successfully finds him with Vlad’s help. Cassie’s flashbacks to childhood – her mother’s suffocating love, for example, or getting bullied on the playground - are common in Hack/Slash, but they do not confuse the story. Rather, they add depth. 

Vlad plays a larger role in Volume 2 and becomes even more loveable. Hack/Slash is a perfect, great example of a platonic relationship between a male and female that seems to be so hard to find in literature these days. Also, this volume explores Cassie’s sexuality, which was barely touched upon in the first volume. Cassie begins to develop deep feelings for another woman, Georgia, yet still is attracted to men. 

All in all, Hack/Slash Volume 2 is a fabulous graphic novel that is entertaining, funny, and deadly serious. Recommended for anyone with a sense of humor who loves slasher or splatter films, as well as general graphic novel fans. This is an impressive volume that you wouldn’t want to miss.