Editor's Note: Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #2 arrives in stores tomorrow, November 4.

Well, a lot of what I liked about the first issue of Doctor Voodoo isn't really showing up this time out. The main difference between the two issues is that where Jericho was on his game last time out, the beating he received by Doctor Doom seems to have shaken him more than I was expecting. In fact, the confident, bad-ass version of Jericho is pretty much entirely absent this issue.

Instead, we get a Jericho who's not handling his defeat very well. Not only is he completely out of his element and a little frightened by Doom's reaction to looking into the Eye of Agamotto, he completely chokes when confronted by what are pretty clearly illusions meant to mess with his head. He's then played like an amateur for the rest of the issue.

I suppose that being beaten down by a guy wearing metal gloves is bound to do some serious damage, and he may be bleeding inside his brain-tank, but I'm still a bit surprised that he can't figure out where he is and what's going on. This becomes an even stickier problem when he gets back home. Every part of the story is screaming "illusion" to me, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see if that's how it plays out.

I'll be disappointed if it does, but I'll probably be equally disappointed if doesn't, just for different reasons. If this all ends up turning on the idea that if only Jericho hadn't been so headstrong and listened to the old white guy he replaced, then things would have been okay, then I may consider dropping the book. You know what I mean. The old white guy and the young black guy have so much to teach each other about life and the world.

Ugh.

Anyway, there are a few interesting things in this issue. We get a reference to something huge that Jericho and Daniel accomplished at some point in the past. I'm pretty sure it's something Remender has come up with, rather than being a reference to a old story, and I like that. It provides a nice sense of history, making Jericho less of a blank slate and at least pretending that he's actually been around doing things and having adventures that we just haven't been privy to.

I'm also enjoying the way that Remender is taking real Voodoo concepts and working them into a new Marvel Universe pantheon of forces. For example, in this issue there's a reference to opening Bondye in order to get the aid of the loas. Now in actual Voodoo practice, Bondye is the name of God and the loas are essentially functionaries – intermediaries between human and divine contact. Remender tweaks this a bit, making Bondye the Voodoo heaven itself and the loas are spirit powers.

No, it's not true to real Voodoo practices, but it doesn't have to be. It's how Voodoo works in the Marvel Universe, and I like it.

Like I said earlier, I'm not too happy with the way the plot plays out for the rest of this issue, particularly with how much of a chump it makes Jericho. But the threat is appropriate as one of Doctor Strange's oldest enemies takes the stage, instantly broadening Jericho's Rogues Gallery to encompass Strange's. I just hope we don't end up losing what makes Doctor Voodoo interesting and unique.

Palo's art is just as good as it was last time and is definitely the main strength of this issue. Plus, this time out we get a flashback sequence by Gabriel Hardman, whose work was most recently seen in Agents of Atlas and on Ape Entertainment's The Black Coat Special. Hardman's style is distinct, but similar enough to Palo's that the shift isn't jarring. There's solid work here by both artists, especially when we get to scenes of bloody violence or otherworldly strangeness.

In order to make up for the $3.99 price tag, we also get a short backup feature where Doctor Strange, looking like the traditional Doc from the eighties, recaps the origin and history of Doctor Voodoo. It's a handy, efficient retelling of his origin, and it seems to be leading into some sort of team-up story next time. I assume this is a reprint from something, but there's nothing to identify where it comes from.

I suppose it's okay. It's not horrible and the art isn't bad. But I could do without it if Marvel wanted to knock that extra dollar off. I'm not made of money, after all.

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