DC Comics 2017
Written by Andrew Constant
Pencilled by Brad Walker
Inked by Andrew Hennessy
Coloured by Chris Sotomayor
Lettered by Tom Napolitano
As Etrigan and Jason Blood adapt to their new forms in the hell zone engulfing Death Valley, they find themselves in the presence of a seemingly psychic child, otherwise unaffected by the nuclear hell blast. But before they can address the mystery of this child, they must fight their way to an old companion, Madame Xanadu, who is trapped in a roadside hotel of hell. As hell continues to spew into Earth, Blood must try and contain an unhinged Etrigan, capable of harming everyone around them, including his companions.
Well in the eternal words of the Ramone’s “second verse same as the first” in the manner that this issue is just as good, strong and interesting as the first one was. I love that this iteration of the Demon is the one we are so familiar with and that it doesn’t feel like re-imagining more like a back to basics. Even better is the fact that Demon Knights was mentioned here, so yeah that might have been the New 52 but it’s also one of the better books to come out from that. It would seem that Andrew is finding a very smart way to incorporate his all his prior appearances into one cohesive easy to follow timeline.
I like the switcheroo here with Etrigan being the main man and Jason being the conscience. Not the first time if my recollection is correct and honestly I think it’s a great way to go what with the bomb falling and the area being turned into some version of hell. I’m a firm believer that there are no coincidences in life and them being here right with the girl and having to search for Madame Xanadu was the universes way of bringing them together. By way of a villainous plot of course because that has to happen, in the Demon’s case anyway.
I love Brad’s work on laying down the interiors here. He’s also got some very experienced folks finishing his work. Together this team makes seeing this come to life a fun time. The attention to detail here is wonderful to see and not just in the characters themselves but in the backgrounds that we see in play. While yes I’d like to see more of them in use I won’t quip because the quality of the work here is just that good. The use of page layouts and they way angles and perspective are utilised make the flow of the story seem so natural.
The way this is structured is extremely well done and the ebb & flow of information revealed and the plot advancement which includes some very fine characterisation is one of the reasons this book is as good as it is. While Jason does what he can to try and keep the Demon’s rage under control and from acting in ways that are detrimental we see just how complicated their symbiotic relationship is. The two of them eternally linked and forever changed by the other this is what we want to see amidst the action. Oh and there’s plenty of action to be had and in such we see the Demon enjoying himself and doing what he does best.
This young woman that is with them who Xanadu used to bring them to her is someone I’m not sure I trust. I’m kind of with Etrigan on this one I mean its too convenient that she survived, has these visions and is leading them to the heart of the fight. It could be she’s just a gifted girl or that she was saved from the blast for altruistic reasons, see her meta-gene activating, or she’s an instrument being used to destroy them by leading them to where they are wanted. The forces waiting for them seem overwhelming and I don’t know. Nicely done by Andrew really I mean not only am I wondering her role in this but I’m questioning everything. This is how you draw your readers further into a story.
This is the kind of book I want to see from DC. Strong writing, excellent interiors and just some good old fashioned, classic style storytelling.