With the inaugural issue of Deus Ex Universe: Children’s Crusade setting the stage for Adam Jensen’s jaunt in anti-terrorist group Task Force 29, it’s in this sophomore instalment that things at last start to move along and develop, though somewhat understandably (and frustratingly) more questions than answers are the end result.
From the get-go, no time is wasted in making the reader feel the fallout from the explosive ending of the previous issue. Chiefly the writers have used Mac, the antagonistic squad member of Task Force 29 that Jensen keeps butting heads with, as a means to convey the issue of dealing with children and other innocents who have been weaponised by their captors; a theme that is sadly all too relatable whenever we take a peek at the daily news in real life. Some might find it a little on the nose for sure, but otherwise, it’s an effective setup for the sort of paranoia that Task Force 29 will undoubtedly now feel going forward.
In addition to the widening the rift between the two Task Force 29 agents, this issue also sheds a little extra light on the seething hatred that Titus, an aggressively anti-augmentation reporter, has for Jensen and his role in the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution as he briefly confronts him about his murky past. It certainly seems as if, combined with the greater interest that the press is taking in Jensen’s latest exploits, that the two will assuredly cross paths again in the near future and it will be interesting to see if Jensen has somehow slighted Titus at some point in the past.
The big tipping point for this issue of course is when Jensen and company show up at the Glasshute; a sprawling transhuman ghetto, which sits at the heart of the German city of Dresden. Here, we get to see artist John Agg expand his remit beyond the decent action scenes of the previous issue with a lovely handful of sweeping shots that take in all the grim majesty of this rundown district. It’s some evocative work for sure and certainly makes up for the still occasionally wonky character design work that pops up here and there.
Speaking of action scenes, coincidentally Dresden also serves as the backdrop for this issue’s lone action scene, which might disappoint those looking for a faster paced issue. While disappointingly bereft of the UI-style elements that made the first comic so familiar to fans of the game, it’s nonetheless is a bombastic chase and shoot set-piece that ably enthrals, reminding the reader just how badass such encounters can be when committed to paper properly and also to never run away from Adam Jensen because you’ll just die tired.
The jaunt to the Glasshute also introduces us to Lieutenant Fallada, a bureaucratically-minded officer who seems quietly determined to curtail the progress of Task Force 29 wherever possible. Though only introduced and used sparingly in this issue, it’ll be interesting to see how Fallada figures in the larger scheme of things as Task Force 29 press deeper into the Glasshute in later issues.
The biggest question though, is again, much like the previous issue, one which manifests right at the end. Here Jensen’s associate, Alex Vega, gets in contact with him to request a meeting as soon as possible but the big reveal is that Jensen’s stint in Task Force 29 is actually part of a plan by a mysterious group called The Juggernaut Collective, thus bringing in yet another player into the equation and raising another bunch of questions with no immediate answers. There are now a lot of moving parts in Children’s Crusade; hopefully the writing team can do justice to all of them without sacrificing the integrity of the narrative.
Summary
A smart if occasionally clumsily continuation of Children Crusade’s first issue that raises more questions than answers, this second instalment dials back on the action but ups the stakes narratively and thematically with new characters and doubling down on the augmentation diversification issue.