Graphic Novel:Root and Branch, Part 2
| Root and Branch, Part 2 Weeding Out | |
|---|---|
| Issue #: | 89 |
| Released: | June 9, 2008 |
 | |
| Story by: | Zach Craley |
| Art and colors by: | Jason Badower |
| Lettering by: | Comicraft |
| Produced by: | Aspen MLT Inc. |
| Easter Egg: | Behind the scenes image of the string web in Isaac's loft |
| Previous: | Root and Branch, Part 1 |
| Next: | Root and Branch, Part 3 |
| Weeding out... |
| Julien Dumont is a Company agent with a very special ability. He can create exact replicants of himself, an ability which has been a great resource for the Company. Partnered with the stunning and deadly Sabine Hazel, they are a formidable team. On a recent solo mission, Sabine's rouge [sic] clone target was killed. However, lying to both Julien and the Company, she falsely reported him as escaped. What forces are turning agent against agent; partner against partner... |
Summary
Sabine Hazel suspects her partner is a liar, and she and Julien drive out to the forest, where Sabine asks Julien if he feels anything when his duplicates are killed. He says he does, before Sabine points a gun at him, claiming the man in front of her is not the root and therefore not the "real" Julien, which she suspects because of many messages she received from the mysterious evsdropr, who told Sabine that her partner was an "impostor". Eventually, her partner admits he is not the root, claiming Sabine has never met the real Julien, as the Company has kept him locked away for years. The duplicate says "I'm the one you love!" to which Sabine replies that she doesn't, before shooting him in the leg.
A year ago, Sabine was promoted to working in the Company and introduced to her partner, whom Gael Cruz claimed was the "root" Julien. They had then begun a relationship, spending time in a Paris hotel. Back in the forest, Sabine's partner pleads for his life, claiming that he is telling her truth, but Sabine kills him anyway. She then drives back to Primatech Research, where she sees other Julien duplicates, proving that her partner was not the root. She also passes Noah Bennet, who is being held in a cell opposite the duplicates. She uses her partner's access card to open a door, and finds a room with the real Julien, the root, in the middle. He is held in place by straps hanging from the ceiling, and one around his chest. Also, tubes run from his stomach and throat, through monitoring machines, and out to several of his duplicates that are crouching on beds in the fetal position.
Trivia
- In the introduction to the novel, the word "rogue" is misspelled "rouge".
- The Nissan that Sabine drives has the license plate "JDsiy88p". This is the password for Julien Dumont's assignment tracker profile at primatechpaper.com.
- The towels at the hotel are embroidered with the monogram "RGS". This is Jason Badower's way of saying thank you to Heroes Wiki administrator RyanGibsonStewart, who helped him with several references for the Root and Branch series.
See Also
- For images from Root and Branch, Part 2, see images from Root and Branch, Part 2.
- For Jason Badower's original art from Root and Branch, Part 2 and notes about his work, see here.
- For an interview with Oliver Grigsby, Zach Craley, and Jason Badower about the Root and Branch series, see Interview:Root and Branch.
External Links