Following up critically acclaimed debut is one pf the challenges every comic creator must face. Well, Sam Head, Rachel Nutkins and the team behind Mi Sweethart are about to face just that with the recent release of the second and third issues of their fantastic comic. But can this title once again make a killing or will it fall on the sword at the second (and third) hurdle?

Publisher: Markosia Comics
Writer: Sam Head
Artist: Rachel Nutkins
Price: £1.49 on Comixology

Following on from issue #1, Mi Sweethart continues to see our eponymous heroine and her faithful man/dog Kipper deals with the ramifications of her former employers failed attack. With a survivor reluctantly providing her the information she needs and a need for vengeance on her mind, Mi jumps on her motorbike and heads for the city and her old employers/enemies base of operations. However, the one at the top pulling the strings is not someone who underestimates Mi’s talents, mobilizing an army to stand between them both and, hopefully, finish Mi Sweethart for good.

With these new issues, Sam Head and the team have once again produced more equally enjoyable and overly humorous entries of the Mi Sweethart series. Head continues to write the book for complete laughs, with very little coming across as serious or thought provoking and, again, this is what makes the series feel special. Both the narrative and the dialogue feel well written and organic as they had previously but the focus on the characters, their connected pasts and personalities has also grown and improved from their first issue roots, particularly in issue three. The best example is during an encounter with Mi’s family which shows a lot more about her history while also revealing a greater connection between our hero and her nemesis, while cliffhanger ending will doubtless be a big change for Kipper’s arc.

Meanwhile, Rachel Nutkins art continues to be strong on the series. The style is still simple and rough, which continue to match the the series’ tone, but the pencils look a little smoother than the first issue, giving the panels a slightly cleaner look. Despite that slight change the style continues to stay consistent, hinting that they know how the book should look, which is most certainly a perfect fit. The fight scenes, while possibly in conjunction with the scripting, seem to have improved also in term of the choreography, with some panels looking very Matrix inspired and others seeming to have been influenced by Monty Python in terms of their humour. One sequence in particular also looks like an homage to the famous Indiana Jones gun scene. Otherwise, the art is helped by seemingly more vibrant colours which give the book a richer feel, assisting in some of the gorier aspects of the fight scenes and really help the fire scenes at the end of issue 2 to stand out.

Again, the creative team behind Mi Sweethart have produced two gorgeously light-hearted issues which are perfect for anyone wanting to just switch off and feel entertained. The fact that these instalments differ so little from the first is a testament to Head, Nutkins and co’s skill at finding their groove early and can only offer anticipation for what the future holds. Even if this isn’t for all, everyone owes it to themselves to try one issue, and let the series pull you in from there.