The first volume of Eden focused on a boy, Elijah, who managed to survive a world-wide apocalyptic disaster, only to find himself attracting the wrong kind of attention from other survivors. In this second volume, the scope broadens, as we see more of the world and get more of an insight into what it means to be a one of the ‘lucky’ few in this post-apocalyptic world.
Like most stories of this nature, the situation is grim. International governments have collapsed, a world dictator has taken over, and only pockets of isolated lawlessness survive.
The story is tightly focused on Elijah though, and the band of morally questionable mercenaries he finds himself with. Seemingly more interested in the war robot they found him with than his own welfare, they’re ripping a path through local government strongholds in an attempt to… well, that bit isn’t clear yet, though they’re certainly on a mission.
Sporadic episodes of violence ensue, but most of the story is spent character building, further defining the characters that appeared in the first volume and sliding in a couple more: prostitutes ‘rescued’ from the hands of the militia.
It makes for fascinating reading. The flashbacks and backgrounders of the first volume evaporate in this one, so there’s no further explanation of the overall situation of the world or how it got into this state. However, Endo’s future remains a solid, tangible thing, providing a fitting backdrop on which to play out his soap opera of soldiering. What might at first seem like stereotypical characters soon reveal hidden depths and buried secrets that will undoubtedly leave you wanting more.