Writer: James Harren
Artist: James Harren
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
A divided world, a buried heart
Come witness linework of masterful art
Two souls, one body — a bitter story
With pages and pages that will never bore ye
The Demon #2 is another exciting issue by James Harren. He’s creating a fantastical world supported by heavily stylized art. I mean, who doesn’t love magic and monsters? Jason Blood wields powerful magic, and Etrigan the Demon fights big monsters. The book sells itself! I will say I am getting more questions as this goes on. Maybe Harren is keeping us in the dark, just like Blood. I just hope that my questions do not outweigh my anticipation for the following issues.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
FAMILY MATTERS
In the present day, we pick up right where we left off in the last issue. Etrigan is fighting his brother, the prince of hell, in Gotham City. His brother does the usual villain shtick of monologuing and explaining why he must attack Etrigan. So basically, Etrigan’s brother had actually supported him when he left hell. Etrigan showed initiative, and that is what his brother thought he would use to take over Earth. He thought Etrigan leaving would benefit the family. Baby brother moves out on his own and does some business by himself. As the youngest in a big family, I understand and have had that same type of expectation placed on me. We differ in the relationships we have with our siblings, however. Etrigan’s siblings are wondering why he hasn’t done anything for Hell and their father. They’re also disappointed that they didn’t eat Etrigan, as he was the runt of the litter. Using that metric, my siblings are chill.
Getting Down To Business
As the brothers are about to lay the smackdown on Etrigan together, they are suddenly called elsewhere. We learn that Iron Duke used a device to call the demons by their true names. Their real names are what lured them to Iron Duke’s location, as they could not help it. He tells them that since he has the power now, they should talk “space business”. This interests me because Iron Duke was the only one from Le Fey’s cabal to combat her true intentions, wanting to continue their dominance in smaller fashions instead of forcing a bigger move.
A Hellish Reveal
Speaking of Le Fey, she is seen with her menagerie nursing her wounds from that blast in the last issue. One of them shows her a crystal ball that it threw up, with Etrigan alive. This is important for multiple reasons. First, Le Fey is alive to continue her mission. Also, it seems like she does not have her cabal to use. Finally, the princes of hell look to be momentarily coaxed by Iron Duke. These are many threads Harren could further explore, all of which I am excited for.
A Hero’s Journey
The biggest moment in this issue is easily Merlin visiting Blood. In layman's terms, because Merlin and this world like to talk without really saying much, Merlin sees Blood’s virtue. He passed Merlin’s test. The reason for his burden (being bound to Etrigan) is not yet known. However, Merlin knows that because of Blood’s spirit and Etrigan’s power, they can save the day. Merlin making himself known like this surprised me because, from just these first two issues, Merlin is THE guy around here. Le Fey wants his magic. Blood wants his answers. It’ll be interesting to see how Merlin affects the story going further.
The Art
I am so glad Harren is pulling double duty with this book, writing and drawing. It makes me happy to see a singular vision in this book. Harren knows exactly how to best tell his story. And Stewart’s colors are a great help, too! My favorite panel in this book is also quite possibly my favorite payoff of a page turn. Seeing Etrigan go from just biting his brother’s face to ripping it off put such a big smile on my face. The panel itself is a beautiful showcase of the art by Harren and Stewart. His motion lines are so dynamic. They easily direct your eye to the action. Then, Harren shows the physics of the bite. Etrigan pulling off half of his brother’s face, revealing the different layers, is gnarly to see. Finally, Stewart makes the art pop with his very bold colors. Having both of them in contrasting colors makes it much clearer.
Final Thoughts
The Demon #2 is a very enjoyable pairing of quality storytelling and stylized art. James Harren balances character moments and progressing the plot with giving really any excuse to draw Etrigan fighting other demons. We are learning the story just as Blood is remembering it, and that means I am very excited for what Harren has in store for the issues to come. These two issues have had minimal filler, if any, and it’s clear Harren knows and respects the lore that built these characters.