Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: andrew constant, Brad Walker, dc comics, Etrigan the Demon, Jason Blood, justice league dark, The Demon, the demon: hell is earth
'The Demon: Hell Is Earth' #1 Review: Etrigan Is Back
Jason Blood, the immortal man forever bonded to Etrigan the Demon, has come to Death Valley with visions of a young girl burning before the Demon. He wants to know why he is seeing this and what it means for his future.
In a nearby town, a sorceress arrives.
Pieces start falling into place with the explosion of a nuclear bomb in Death Valley.
Oh, how I've longed for the return of Etrigan the Demon to comic books, and here he is at last. On top of all that, it's actually good.
The push and pull between Jason and Etrigan is good fun. The premise with the visions is decent launch pad. When the Demon finally cuts loose, it's violent and exciting.
When you figure out the plot behind the nuclear bomb, it's not particularly fresh. It's the generic plot for every demonic hero story in recent years. From Ghost Rider, to Spirits of Vengeance, Venom's "Circle of Four," and now the Demon, everyone is trying to bring about Hell on Earth. Even Falcon is bizarrely following that plotline right now.
We don't get to know the specific villain behind all of it right now, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were the biblical Satan from what we see.
The team of Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy bring back the great work they showed while on Aquaman. Jason Blood is drawn scruffy and disheveled. Etrigan is snarling, sinister, and awesome. The demons they fight have a pretty distinct design of ash and cinder. The color work of Chris Sotomayor brings it all together with an ominous and overbearing atmosphere.
Demon: Hell is Earth doesn't really do anything new or too unique, but it's fun and engaging. The characters are enjoyable, the art is great, and it leaves me looking forward to the next issue. It earns a recommendation. Give it a read.