Jason Shawn Alexander likes confusing starts for his story arcs. First issue of Empty Zone volume 2 has nothing to do with first volume. No familiar characters or places. We follow new characters whose paths cross with protagonists of first volume. Corinne and Hank come to Berlin to stop operation of second office of the evil corporation in second issue. All Corinne’s character development happened in first volume. Hank was more of a sidekick with couple character traits. That hasn’t changed in this volume.
I guess idea was to have character development to happen to new characters. Corina couldn’t have had anything like she had in first issue. Problem is there is not much development for new characters after they are introduced in first issue. All major revelations and changes happen in first issue. After first issue we meet new type of monsters but we get pretty much no info about them except that they are deadly. There are no jaw dropping revelations of first volume. After first issue it is just steady rolling towards the end.
If first volume was like Blade Runner this is like Sin City. Science fiction is replaced by gritty killing machines and dark underbelly of big city. Whole volume felt like filler in bigger story arc. There are no major revelations. Might have worked better if there was more in new characters story arcs. But those characters were there only to show how bleak and dark the world is. Maybe they were planned to return in next volume and had payoff then. As this volume is considered there is no satisfactory payoff.
Jason Shawn Alexander’s art is reason to read this. Story is not at par with it. This volume build up for third volume which might conclude the evil corporation story arc. But there is no third volume or even eleventh issue. Until there is you are probably better off by reading only the first volume. Unless you want to enjoy Jason Shawn Alexander’s art.