Broken Frontier

Farscape: Scorpius #2 picks up exactly where the previous issue left off with the death of Captain Grrior and it doesn't let up at all as writer David Alan Mack takes readers even further into the devious and twisted mind that is Scorpius.

Much like Mack's stellar efforts in the first issue where he presented the entire Farscape universe without descending into mindless narration or summary, his juxtaposition of Scorpius' dialogue and the ensuing action against the character's own inner monologue is very smooth and commendable.  By killing Grrior at precisely the right moment as the Grennij encounter a fleet of attack ships, Scorpius has orchestrated this entire event and now must act to manage its fruition.  While the Grennij don't realize the impotency of the Sheyang fleet or that they are merely scavengers, Scorpius manipulates their lack of knowledge and rising fears of the unknown.  Despite the cries of surrender from the Sheyang leader as Scorpius orders the Grennij to attack, the Sheyang are completely decimated and Scorpius' approach to war is captured beautifully: "we will take no prisoners—and leave no survivors."

Even when the Grennij cease their victorious celebration at the revelation that Captain Grrior is dead by Scorpius' hands, readers cannot deny that this arch villain is always several steps ahead of his counterparts, anticipating every possible outcome and determining the most devastating course of action that will yield the only important outcome—whatever Scorpius wants it to be.  Though he knows little about the mysterious Kkore, Scorpius weaves a magnificent tale to bewilder and confuse the Grennij while simultaneously ensuring his own status as their current leader, conscripting even the deceased Grrior in the process. 

Solidifying his position further, Scorpius devises a surprise inspection of the troops.  While this sequence gives Mack the opportunity to delve even deeper into the character's past and examine how events in Scorpius' upbringing have shaped him currently, and the exploration of Scorpius' time in the Peacekeeper basic training program is interesting, this is perhaps the only aspect of the issue that falters slightly.  After spending a page and a half on Peacekeeper ideology and military strategy, it is difficult to believe that Scorpius can convey these life lessons and battle-hardened realities to the Grennij troops.  Although his mere presence is enough to install fear in the Grennij and his sheer force of will has allowed him to overtake the entire ship's command infrastructure, it is somewhat unbelievable that years, if not decades, of Peacekeeper battle training could so easily be taught in a single, rousing speech about individual sacrifice and wartime commitments.

Furthermore, the transition from this sequence into a solitary look at Scorpius' investigations into the Kkore is rather abrupt and may give readers a momentary pause to question the relevance of the preceding troop inspection and its connection to this new environment.  The full page spread, however, where Scorpius learns more about Kkore encroachments into the Uncharted Territories is truly amazing and a testament to the collaboration between Mack's storytelling and the beautiful renditions by artists Mike Ruiz and Nolan Woodard. 

In the final pages, the Grennij come face-to-face with the Odre'el and to call the Grennij mere pawns in Scorpius' master game is a disservice to this architect of deception.  From his escape in issue #0 and his killing of Captain Grrior in issue #1, to his destruction of a Sheyang fleet and the complete decimation of the Odre'el, Scorpius' motives are finally revealed on the last page.  In spite of the minor detour with Scorpius as Patton, Mack has delivered another exciting installment in this latest offering from BOOM! Studios.