The latest from BOOM! Studios continues to be one of the most unique titles I have read in recent memory. While all comics start their stories differently, Seven Secrets tells a story not only uniquely, but writers seem to take their time time telling their tale. This trick can be chancy. Telling a slow story allows for character and world development, but go too slowly and one loses the readers to boredom. Seven Secrets 2 takes us on the next step into this new world.

Seven Secrets 2 – At Least We Have a Hero

Caspar returns
Caspar comes back to the order

As the writers build the world of the Seven Secrets, we know the threat. If these secrets spread into the world disaster of epic proportions will follow in their wake. We know there are seven (duh), but oddly our knowledge goes no further. Our protagonist in issue 1 existed of nothing more than a voice over. We met his parents and the circumstances around his birth, but no more. In this issue we meet our protagonist – as a boy.

Caspar, as he is called, grows up under the tutelage of secret keeper three, but he also trains under several of the other secret keepers, learning different skills from each. The greatest conflict in this issue comes when mom and dad, keepers of secret seven. Caspar must figure balance out their cold, distant training against the fact these two are his parents. They seem to care nothing about him. That sums up the story.

Seven Secrets 2 – Creating Characters of the Future

So why read this comic? It I just summed up the whole story and it sounds less than interesting, why read it? Because the writers excel at story telling. In the process of showing us the past, they create characters that will feature prominently in the story ahead. No evil force threatens the secrets yet, but the training allows us to meet many of the secret keeper as they train Caspar (and a colorful bunch they are). In the opening we see a man in a checkered masque questioning the orders of the Leader of the seven secrets. They work together as guardians of the first secret, but the openness that the clown questions the leader sets up an interesting dynamic that may be fun to watch as we go.

We learn a lot of Caspar’s personality as he trains with the other guardians, and then again as he needs to cope with the tangled relationship of his parents. We see how he acts, but then the voice over of future Caspar tells us of feelings he regrets or hints at changes to come. Then we even witness some of the high school angst Caspar needs to deal with. Mom helps out without Caspar’s knowing, developing parental characters torn by their choice.

Seven Secrets 2 – Did I Mention the Final Pages?

All of this wonderful storytelling sets up a future story very rich in characters and detail, but then we reach the last couple pages. Two things happen that jump our story ahead for issue 3. I will not spoil what they are, but they hit hard. Past Caspar needs to figure out some things, but then future Caspar, the one doing the voice over, drops a very large bombshell! And our story hasn’t even begun yet…