Comic Review: RWBY #2

Retcons and story-gaps are filled in the most recent chapter.

As Ruby Rose leaves her home with what’s left of Team JNPR during the aftermath of Vol.3’s infamous “Fall of Beacon” event, on a quest to the land of Mistral, one question remains: can she fit into the remaining team’s new dynamics? Also, we get a story from Ruby’s past about her long-dead yet highly talked about mother “Summer Rose” along with a lesson she learned from her uncle Qrow.

At first, the flashback story itself almost feels like a non-sequitur, as no sane adult for some damn reason actually wants to talk to Ruby or tell any stories about what kind of person her mom was like when she was a small child, (Which much like Steven Universe, seems to be a recurring theme within the show itself unless they want to reveal a twist or two) but somehow works when Qrow appears in the flashback to fill in those specific gaps, and makes what goes on in the Ruby’s past thematically relevant to the present as Ruby begins to take to heart Qrow’s words in regards to how her mother responded and reacted to various situations from normal everyday stuff, to her combat tactics in the face of danger, but the chapter ends with a cliffhanger involving her Injured but recovering half-sister Yang.

Our Take

While Chapter 1 left me with the question of how they would further continue this comic adaptation since the last chapter was a recap leading up to the pre-established events of Vol.4, It was quick to answer this as a retcon in combination with an obligatory flashback to Ruby’s past as she takes the lessons of her Uncle Qrow to heart on what kind of person her mother was like, We are even given a clear idea of how much of a Saint she arguably was compared Yang’s heartless mother and Qrow’s sister, Raven Branwen (A character who was greatly expanded upon in Vol.5).

But once again, with the joint-efforts of writer Marguerite Bennette, Artist Mirka Andolfo and Colorist Arif Prianto, they keep the momentum going and remain consistent with telling this story, along with another new character design of what toddler Ruby would most look like next to the tomboyish toddler version of Yang. Given that Vol.4’s first episode took place long after Ruby left, we didn’t get a lot of details of what happened between that time and I believe this is an excellent attempt to fill in those particular gaps of Ruby along with a piece of her past that’s rarely touched upon, and Qrow’s approach to helping her comes across as both subtle and brutally honest which is something most families rarely do these days.

Let’s hope Chapter 3 delves further into the physical and psychological aspects of Yang’s recovery.