
DC Comics 2017
Written by Andrew Constant
Pencilled by Brad Walker
Inked by Andrew Hennessey
Coloured by Chris Sotomayor
Lettered by Tom Napolitano
After the horrific acts of last issue, the highly unstable team of Etrigan, Jason Blood and Xanadu must face a new threat. A new player that has been ally, enemy and family to Jason and Etrigan reveals itself, and explains just who is responsible for the nightmarish transformation facing Earth. But before the shock of this information can be absorbed, the group must face a different family member. And he’s got an offer that Etrigan can’t refuse. Alliances will be made, familial bonds will be broken, and blood will be spilled!
See if DC were smart or had smart people in the right places books like this would be the norm every month. What Andrew manages to do here while establishing Jason and Etrigan in the present day while still keeping the past which includes Demon Knights alive is amazing. It is like he is able to keep the totality of their lives intact so there is no pre-post-new whatnot nonsense involved. Also the man is able to structure this story so extremely well done that even the story revelations feel like action sequences. Why is this important well because of the way it makes you as a reader feel and the excitement and the anticipation just ooze out of your body.
The characterisation here is utterly flawless as well and I do so adore the moment when Etrigan start his rhyming talk. You’ll see as you read the story what that means but it is an essential part of his characterisation and that I found more interesting to learn. Actually I also really am enjoying the fact that Jason is both hoity toity, sarcastic and demeaning in nature as it really does suit a man who’s been forced to live as long as he has with Etrigan attached to him. There’s something about the arrogant and insufferable Jason Blood that I’ve always enjoyed I think from the backups in Detective Comics is where that came from.
Brad seriously do we need to talk about what he can do? First his use of page layouts and how we see angles and perspective in the panels shows off his eye for storytelling which is stunning. The attention to detail that we see here is a pure delight and be it from faces, facial expressions or beards and such it all has this feel about it that brings you back to why you loved comics in the first place. The utilisation of backgrounds here can be hard to do considering the location and the work that these folks do is a wow factor because the inks and colours over the pencils make this the read we all want.
With the revelation of who was hiding inside the girl and who is now up to his well old tricks of which none of them are buying what he’s selling Merlin still knows how to manipulate a situation like no other. Guess being a half-demon sorcerer has it’s advantages after all. Though with Xanadu here it’s a shame we don’t see any of the other mystical sentinels of the DC Universe or at least present day version of the Knights.
Well who doesn’t love a good old fashioned family squabble? We all do or we wouldn’t go to visit our relatives during the holidays and if you don’t enjoy that yourself well you can enjoy this family reunion because this is what it’s all about! I have to admit that the story itself while bringing back these characters to the modern universe is stunning it’s also it shows that there is room for books like this. I mean this is one of those that is far and beyond better than the “must haves” they are pushing.
Bold, daring and full verve where the action and characterisation blend through visuals to create a story that audiences want.