Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: andrew constant, Brad Walker, dc comics, Etrigan the Demon, Jason Blood, justice league dark, madame xanadu, magic, occult, superheroes
The Demon- Hell is Earth #2 Review: Demonic Thunderdome
Death Valley lives up to its name. A massive smoke-black bubble has manifested around the zone after the nuclear blast. Demons are rising in the blast zone, and Etrigan is loose. However, Jason Blood has been able to project himself out of the Demon in a noncorporeal form. Can he keep Etrigan in check?
To make Etrigan even more temperamental, they find the girl from their dreams. She has the name "Madame Xanadu" in her mind, and she doesn't know why.
The Demon being on the loose this issue is certainly a plus. I love that vile and grumpy bastard. The fact that he accidentally or under coercion manages to perform heroics has always entertained me. Plus, I've always dug the rhyming.
The Death Valley Hellscape uses the classic aesthetic of damnation. The earth is charred black. Ashen demons are running around, and a couple of demon minotaurs have arisen thanks to Madame Xanadu's spell on the drunken truckers from last issue. Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, and Chris Sotomayor give it enough a flair to keep it feeling unique. Plus, it just generally looks good. Etrigan is massive and imposing. Xanadu looks badass. The demons look cool. It's a great-looking comic. The worst I can say is that Etrigan's body bends in slightly odd ways at times.
The dialogue between Etrigan and Jason Blood makes up the bulk of the comic, and it's great. The two have great acidic chemistry. Even better is how Jason keeps the Demon in line. He threatens to tell him all of the beautiful things in the world in a Chinese Water Torture style of torment. It's a simple yet creative plot point, and it gets a fair number of laughs during the span of the issue.
Demon: Hell is Earth #2 is a fun continuation to the initial book. Etrigan and Jason have a lot of good moments. The art is great. The plot isn't new, but it's fun. It may not quite be as good as #1, but it is easily recommendable all the same. Give this one a read.