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fixation 2
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IDW reviews – Fixation 2

Jeffrey Lyles , , ,

Fixation 2 marks the halfway point for the limited series. Given the abbreviated length of the story, it’s not a surprise that Fixation 2 feels like it’s moving at arguably too accelerated a pace.

The first installment was a strong opening chapter that set the stage for the series. Writer Amy Chase introduced Taylor Van Owens, the massive superfan of the Blood Mountain novels that turned into an even bigger movie franchise. Along with her best friend, Karrah, Taylor got the once in a lifetime opportunity to stay in the Mallard house, where so many of vampire film’s iconic moments were shot as part of the massive 10th anniversary celebration.

Initially, things were great for Taylor and Karrah even as some voiced their displeasure with her selection and some of the film’s cast was less than gracious. Still, the trip was everything Taylor envisioned until a killer started taking out some of the fans and casually stalking Taylor and Karrah.

fixation 2 - interior art

Fixation 2 picks up from the cliffhanger ending of the previous issue with a new body being discovered. For the sake of everyone’s safety, the anniversary festivities are being shut down. That’s terrible news for Taylor and Karrah who weren’t prepared for their trip to end so abruptly.

Chase also provides some more valuable backstory for Fixation 2. One of the big revelations is the manner in which Elyse, the stunt double for franchise star, Summer, actually played out. It wasn’t through an intentionally malicious action, but rather a neglectful moment that puts the blame on several of the cast and crew members. That sets up plenty of potential victims for the mysterious slasher killer to want to take out.

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Unfortunately, with only one issues left, that puts Chase on a time crunch in Fixation 2 to start killing off some of the character fodder. Unlike the previous issue, which allowed Chase more time to provide some basic character development, the murders hit at a rapid rate. In most cases for Fixation 2, that comes at the expense of some of the more engaging supporting characters.

Easily the biggest surprise for Fixation 2 was that Chase didn’t wait until midway through the next issue to reveal the killer. Their identity made sense although it was somewhat underwhelming since it felt like the too obvious candidate.

fixation 2 - interior art 2

Artist Savanna Mayer’s art style won’t be for everyone with its rougher and harsher line work, but it works for the tone of Fixation. Mayer chooses some unique perspectives whether from a character’s foot crossing into three panels or another’s hand stretching out to get something at the end of the panel to break up the regular flow of the pages. It’s a savvy move that ensures that the reader stays attentive since every page doesn’t stick to a traditional layout.

Colorist James Fenner sticks with a darker, murky color palette to convey the horror thriller nature of Fixation 2. There’s an intentional lack of cheery colors as Fenner wants a sense of dread to overwhelm the pages just as much as the events are freaking out the attendees. Letterer Sandy Tanaka arranges the dialogue with more emphasis on character tone instead of laying it out perfectly symmetrical.

It will be very interesting to see how the mini-series comes to a close as Fixation 2 offers up some intriguing possibilities that hopefully won’t get rushed through in the final installment.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Photo Credit: IDW

After checking out Fixation 2, revisit one of its inspirations with The Twilight Saga collection on Blu Ray on Amazon.

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