The Comichaus anthology returns for another monthly bout of speculative fiction, and if we keep referring to it as an indie 2000 AD it might become an official designation.

Lost in the wilderness of rural Scotland after a flat tyre, the grouchy and snarky Karyn Shade happens across some sinister goings on, and in the process reveals she’s also kind of a badass as we also get some further inkling of exactly what it is she’s doing in the arse end of nowhere.

Feather continues with its tale of the spread of a mysterious avian flu, confirming what the final panel of part one suggested, bringing forth the question of exactly what this means as the story heads towards the future promised by each part’s opening page.

The sci-fi saga of Suited and Booted takes its proper step forwards, revealing that far from a saviour its protagonist is a double agent for a technocratic theocracy, driven by seething contempt and relentless self-loathing, while the dystopia of the far-flung future gradually reveals itself.

The protagonists of The Troubleshooters remain as enigmatic as they were when introduced, but when forced to remain in the small port town and danger on the horizon, it likely won’t be long before the action begins to heat up.

As an ex-soldier barges into the afterlife mystery of Mortality in search of his deceased daughter, some unexpected happenings suggest that things in the land of the dead are not quite as under control as they should be.

Ending the issue again with a one-shot story, Keyhole is a tale observed from its protagonist’s point of view, watching Mum and Dad through a keyhole and chronicling their lives disintegrating into resentment, recrimination and violence with a matter-of-fact lack of understanding of what’s truly happening. It leaves lingering questions, but in a way this actually works as a more satisfying ending than being given explicit answers.

The follow-up instalment of a strong opening can sometimes be tricky a tricky prospect, especially with anthologies. Building on and expanding a story is difficult enough with whole issues, but with each story having a mere six pages to renew and expand interest the challenge is exponentially greater. While Comichaus #2 doesn’t make quite as much of an impact as the debut collection, it still ably continues its ongoing stories and increases anticipation for their continuation.

COMICHAUS #2 / AUTHOR: VARIOUS / ARTIST: VARIOUS / PUBLISHER: COMICHAUS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW