Review: "Shrugged" Volume II: Issue 2

Yes or No? Right or wrong? Whatever the choice, Theo Langstrom's conscience makes the call. But is Theo truly the one calling the shots or is he just merely along for the ride? One Thing is for sure— he is definitely not alone! Dev and Ange know it is their sole purpose to capably guide Theo from his birth to his passing, providing their own conscientious reasoning on his behalf. But as they will come to realize, they can do more than simply provide their own perspective, they can now affect his world. And they as well— are definitely not alone!

"Shrugged" starts like a 'slice of life' series, with high-schooler Theo having an angel and a devil on his shoulders as he goes through life, helping him make decisions and providing some mental insight into things. On one shoulder is Dev, your typical loud-mouthed yet funny demon, and on the other is the aptly named Ange, a lovely blonde angel who always is revolted at Dev's crudeness, and tries steering Theo on the right path.

Having not read any other issues prior to this, I found the series very easy to pick up and get into (with the exception of a quick google search here and there). This is a distinct advantage that smaller comics have over the "big ones" like DC and Marvel which require an extensive knowledge of back-issues just to understand half a page of some of the more arch-heavy content.

"Shrugged" is a cute little adventure, the writing is accessible and sometimes funny and cute, if not a bit cliche; but it's not a real problem.

The issues strength (and weakness) comes from artist Jonathan Marks, who sometimes creates some wonderful looking characters and set-pieces, while other times the design and anatomy are just...odd. This is a problem I can see being easily fixed or looked past though, hopefully in later issues. 

All in all, "Shrugged" is a fine series to read. It's nothing weighty on the mind; but it's imaginative and colorful enough to keep you going. An engaging concept for all ages, and after the cliff-hanger, I'm very much looking forward to this next issue.