Written by Jean-Pierre PécauArt by Igor Kordey
The second issue of The Secret History to come out this week is a much smoother read. Perhaps it's just that Book 18 refamiliarised me with the world of the Archons and their centuries-long interference with human history, but I found that this is a much more balanced and readable volume. It also checks in with more characters, and advances the plot much further.
This issue opens in 1968 with the assassination of Martin Luther King (all a part of Howard Hughes's plans), before moving over to check in with Reka, who is embracing the hallucinogenic potential of the time. She finds that dropping LSD makes it possible for her to visit the lost city of Kor, and she plans a gigantic event that will let her tap in to the love energy and drug-fueled excitement of thousands of people to amplify her own trip (what is that event? the cover makes it clear).
Curtis, now in his seventies, gets a tip as to the whereabouts of his enemy Kim Philby, and travels to Prague during the Prague Spring to take him out. Dyo is also pulling strings in Prague, making sure that his Soviet Union gets what he wants.
Erlin, meanwhile, is trekking through the jungles of Mexico, searching for Mayan ruins, which predict the date of the end of the world, which also matches up with the predictions of his old friend Nostradamus. As we all know, the date for this is set to take place this year, and unfortunately, the way things have been working at Archaia, we aren't likely to see another issue of this comic until after the world ends.
I have long enjoyed Igor Kordey's work on this series, and have used it as an example to counter-balance his vilification at the hands of American comics readers after his notoriously rushed issues of New X-Men, but was extra impressed by his work on this volume. In addition to his usual pencils, he has also retouched photographs of Woodstock to fit with the needs of the story - I thought it was a cool change in the look of the book.
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