[Comic Book Review] Fence Vol. 2 by C.S., Johanna the Mad, & Joana LaFuente

Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place on the Kings Row fencing team, alongside sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama, to win the right to go up against his golden-boy half-brother.

Tryouts are well underway at King’s Row for a spot on the prodigious fencing team, and scrappy fencer Nicholas isn’t sure he’s going to make the grade in the face of surly upperclassmen, nearly impossibly odds, and his seemingly unstoppable roommate, the surly, sullen Seiji Katayama. It’ll take more than sheer determination to overcome a challenge this big!

From the superstar team of C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad comes the second volume of this acclaimed, dynamic series.

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Fence Volume One Review

This series is easily becoming a huge favorite of mine! I am so mad it took me so long to read it because I am so obsessed with these characters. I have been really into sports type anime shows for the last year or so and this gives me such a similar vibe. 

Volume to takes place in a 24 hour span, and a lot of the page space is dedicated to the fencing and less on pushing the character arcs forward. Which is why I've given it four stars instead of five. I definitely would have preferred we got a little more. I know typically comic volumes are fairly short but I think this one left you wanting more in an unsatisfying way. I'm lucky that the third one is published so I can request it from my library but I feel for the readers who had to wait. 

However, what we did get was great. I am loving  Aiden and Harvard's friendship, and I hope we continue to get moments of them supporting each other. I also love that we are getting more of Nicholas's personality. In the first volume, I thought he was going to be more brooding and keep to himself, but he's showing to be such a goofball and I love it. I am also really loving Nicholas's friendship with Bobby, and I hope we get more moments of their friendship. In this second volume the reader also gets to know more of the Coach's personality. Their Coach is badass, incredibly smart, kind, and obviously loves her athletes. I want to get to know these characters more! I am loving them. 

While reading I was never bored, despite the volume focusing more on the characters fencing and less on getting deeper with the character stories. Even with the fencing aspect of the story, it's more about the rivalry and competition and less about the technicality of the sport. With what we know of the characters there is a lot of tension between them as they fence against each other. It's the characters that make the story so addicting. There is enough of mystery in the plot with Nicholas's backstory that also keeps me reading, but if I didn't love the characters as much as I do who knows if I'd keep reading. C.S. Pacat does a fantastic job with making us love the characters, and the artists Johanna the Mad & Joana LaFuente help bring the characters to life. I can't get enough of the art style. 

Overall, I'm really happy that this was my first read of 2020. I have already requested volume three from my library and I cannot wait to continue the story!

Thanks for reading!