by Joe Schickman, Reporter

In the last issue, Agent Tritos was quickly disillusioned on his first outing with Agent  Cutter, shedding his innocence in a righteous (or perhaps self-righteous?) bloodbath which left many poachers dead but saved the life of an innocent young dragon. In The Scale Trade #2 a month has gone by and our DCA agents are still explaining their actions from that night. Now, a new case is dropped in their laps which will lead them along a mystery that could tear their partnership, and perhaps all of the DCA, apart.

Official Synopsis:
With an injured dragon now under his care, Carmen Tritos is more determined than ever to end the scale trade. But Tritos is realizing there’s no one he can trust, not even his own partner. With the police hounding him for the truth about his explosive raid that left multiple butchers dead, Carmen is forced to defend himself just as his next case sends him undercover to cut out the roots of the scale trade. But is this really an undercover op at all? Or is Tritos walking into a trap that pins him as an unhinged, murderous activist?

Creative Team:
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Megan Huang
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Editor: Bobby Curnow

Covers:
Main: Megan Huang
Variant Cover A: Max Dunbar
Variant Cover B: Sebastian Cheng
Incentive Cover: Ariel Olivetti

The Scale Trade # 2 opens a month after the previous issue with the police still investigating Agents Cutter and Tritos over the raid which left a house full of dead poachers. Doubting that the incident was purely self defense on the part of the DCA agents, the officers accuse them of letting their zeal turn them into murderers – they just need to find the evidence to prove it. Privately Agent Cutter espouses to Tritos that since no one else sees what they see, no one else has the right to judge them for it. Agent Tritos has spent the month nursing the rescued dragon back to health, and grappling with how to continue now that his naivete has been lost. After seeing the seedy underbelly of the scale trade first hand, his idealism has evolved into a thirst for justice. At the same time, the apathy the system has for the unfair treatment of dragons has left him enraged and on the edge. Agent Tritos must choose if he will allow himself to become numb like his partner, or take further drastic action.

At a fundraising event for The Munroe Group, the majority backer of the DCA, agent Cutter shares with Agent Tritos his jaded views of the disparity between those who support the cause of dragon rights, and the reality of their actions. Throughout the event it becomes clear that most of the philanthropists present support the cause by rote, gifting money to end the scale trade while draped in draco leather or sporting scale bound purses. Agent Cutter laments that this is just the way it is, which agitates the turmoil already broiling within Agent Tritos, causing him to confront the group’s leader and namesake, Blaire Munroe, and challenge her to do more than just fund the DCA. With Agent Tritos at a crossroads, the dark reflection cast by Agent Cutter serves as a warning of what could be his inevitable fate if his rage isn’t channeled and instead fizzles to something self destructive. Writer Steve Orlando dives deeper into the conflict Agent Tritos is experiencing and the greater intricacies of the world portrayed, as represented in parallels between the two agents.

Soon after the DCA agents are called to investigate the robbery of three purebred dragons from a wealthy couple’s private stables. As purebred dragons are endangered and very rare, they are regarded as extreme status symbols and represent millions in investment. Complexifying matters, the wealthy couple are major donors to the DCA who expect rapid results, creating high stakes for our agents. Searching for the dragons further exposes Agent Tritos to the compromises the DCA has to make and just how far the barbaric scale trade permeates. It is a dangerous maze of mistrust, ending in a twist to leave you eager to get your hands on issue 3.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives The Scale Trade # 2 from Magma Comix – 3/5 Fireballs.

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