It still soars. But Welcome to Tranquility #2 doesn't hit the same heights as the first book in the series.

Perhaps it's because there are zombies and demons, and Welcome to Tranquility didn't really seem like a zombies and demons kind of book. The first volume, if you'll recall, dealt with superheroes and supervillains living together in a sort of retirement community, and the ruckus that occurred after people started turning up dead -- and not of old age, if you get my meaning.

This time around, an ancient evil -- if not the devil, then something pretty close -- has decided to take over Tranquility and kill all of its inhabitants ... out of spite, I guess. And everyone buried thereabouts is coming back from the dead to help him do it.

Still, while the plot itself isn't as interesting, it's still a fun and enjoyable book. You learn a lot more about Sheriff Tommy's earlier years, as well as the man who could've been Elvis but ended up tending a graveyard instead. The gang from Gen13 makes a guest appearance. And you certainly won't forget the stone-cold cowboy killer who's been saving a special bullet for the man who ate his family!

Unfortunately, word is that this is the last gasp from Tranquility, which had far too brief a shelf life. I hope writer Gail Simone and artist Neil Googe can get the town together again sometime soon!