Every solid sequel needs a brief moment of transition. This isn’t at all different in Fight Club 2’s sixth issue, which refrains from much of the heavy, proverbial movement the series has established thus far. In tow with the previous issue, however, Fight Club 2 continues to grow narratively more compelling. This installment further reminds us the powerhouse of an author who happens to be at the helm of this endeavor.
More so than he ever did in the original Fight Club, Sebastian realizes the nature of his ailment. Tyler, framed in the words of Dr. Wrong, posits himself as a contagion. He is a malicious force and has only grown more infectious, more powerful as Sebastian has fallen deeper into complacency and sedation. Sebastian, desperate to eliminate this being, slowly determines that the solution to his woes may lie within compliance. The conversations with Dr. Wrong are a little bit hard to follow initially, but none of Fight Club 2’s episodes can really be assessed at first glance.
We also are awarded a deeper look into the budding relationship between Marla and her decrepit companion as they make their way across the barren wastes. After learning of her son’s actions immediately following the destruction of her house, Marla’s resolve is momentarily fractured. Unlike Sebastian, who rarely has any handle on his situation up until this point, Marla bounds between waves of control and subservience. She’s obviously been swayed by the sociopathic charm of Tyler, but she’s also never inept at recognizing the threat he places. This is perhaps what much of Fight Club 2 is: An attempt to reconcile one’s urges with their ethical obligations. After Marla briefly sighs, stating that “there was nobody” influencing her son, her unfortunate actualization is almost too jarring to muster.
If the above is any condition, this issue of Fight Club 2 is definitely concerned with what lies within the wrinkles of the brain. The two central conversations address more of this bizarre saga more so than the entirety of the previous entries. The only minor complaint one could muster towards issue six is the lack of meaningful follow-up to the gory (yet oddly beautiful) conclusion of the last installment. It’s obviously addressed, but not in a way that’s very appropriate. Still, the explanations provided in this chapter continue to push Fight Club 2 in the right direction, foreshadowing a climax that makes its source’s finale look like, well, weak shit.
WICKED RATING: (7.5 / 10)
