Dynamite; $3.99

Xena and Gabrielle are still on the long road to Athens when Xena has a nightmare about how monstrous she was in her past days as a warlord. Gabrielle tries to engage her in conversation, several times, in fact, but is met by mostly short answers and a few grumpy silences. If that wasn’t tense enough, they spot a few dangerous individuals and Gabrielle’s curiosity could put them in mortal danger – and Xena more at odds with her traveling companion.

In Athens, a ship is getting ready to head to Pontus, supposedly carrying priestesses for King Mithridates. Despite needing to leave to appease the king, the ship’s captain realizes that, “an old friend is coming to town.” Xena may step into an ambush the moment she gets to Athens.

Issue 2 of this new limited series kept up the style and pacing of its predecessor. Writer Meredith Finch has a great command for dialogue, coupled with the nuanced illustrations of Vicente Cifuentes, making the characters expressive and realistic. So far, the comic is focused more on the personal level instead of Xena’s excellent battle skills, which gives the characters more depth. So if the next few issues do become more action heavy, it’ll create more suspense for readers invested in the heroines.

-Amanda Sheriff