The Good
Jason Blood makes his triumphant return, and he does so with a little help from his friends: one in particular. Yet the friends he keeps underestimate him and his abilities, and Jason doesn't appreciate that one bit. In this issue, Jason is the central character: his recent experiences, torment and pain have molded him into a different man. He knows this, and while his friends may not, he will insist on making sure that he gets a bit of his own brand of revenge on a certain demon. The dynamic here between Etrigan and Jason Blood is interesting: even though the two characters never spend time together on panel, their rivalry and resentment for one another is being molded into an incredibly interesting relationship. The two characters clearly despise one another and writer Robert Venditti really gets that.
Bernard Chang delivers yet another beautifully penciled issue, and the colors are vibrant and bright; really perfectly done and very complimentary to the story in this comic.
Venditti is able to bring a lot of very different characters alive on the pages of this series, and he successfully gives each of them time to interact with one another and shine in their own right in this current story. The result is a dynamic story that is well told, a plot that is organized and well executed, and a story that is interesting and very different from so many of the other titles currently being published at DC. These characters are complex and interesting, and Venditti has a fantastic way of telling pieces of a story without unveiling all the cards under his sleeve. He is great at giving us depth with few words, choosing the language carefully.
The Bad
There is really nothing bad in this issue. This is a great follow up to an already very interesting story.
The Verdict
I really have been enjoying this series and I think Venditti has done a fantastic job taking on these interesting characters and playing with their relationships a little bit. This has been an incredibly exciting issue, and the story that we get here is definitely one that continues to escalate and get more and more interesting. The art is really fantastic, and very complimentary to the story being told here, which is great. The result is another solid issue and one that is bound to pique the interest of anyone fascinated by and invested in the world of Etrigan and his supporting cast. As far as a jumping on point, you can definitely start your journey here as it is, for the most part, easy to follow along. You may, however, not get the most out of the story if you don't at the very least read the previous issue.