Pull-O-Rama: January '10

[Stephanie]

It’s time for another comic book Pull-O-Rama, where we present an assortment of recent comics and let you know how much they rock, whether they’re not quite up to par ... or if you should skip them altogether. This time we'll flip through the pages of Pilot Season: Demonic #1, chase ghosts in Darkness: Shadows and Flame, chop some limbs with Kick-Ass #8, and play mind games in Escape from Wonderland #4.

Pilot Season: Demonic #1

A human with the face of a demon—not your everyday premise, but writer Robert Kirkman and artist Joe Benitez fashion such a character in their unconventional Demonic comic, a runner in this year's Pilot Season fan-decided competition. The issue begins with a scene depicting a normal husband and wife and then shatters the happy illusion with an otherworldly spawn that looks like Aliens and a hot pink Furby got into a fight. After a bit of persuasion, Scott dons a tattered cloak and a mask resembling the demon that haunts him.

By day Scott works for the police, but by night he resumes more unpleasant activities. As his counterpart "Demonic," Scott executes dangerous local criminals, counting heads in order to appease his demon oppressor and sneak into his bed before dawn. But the authorities are ready this time, and they ambush the masked killer unexpectedly. Because Scott refuses to fulfill some currently unknown deal with the demon he unwillingly serves, he instead exchanges the lives of innumerable lawbreakers—and in this particular case, the innocent—to spare his wife and daughter. With fifteen slaughtered police officers' blood on his hands, the guilt is quickly becoming too much to bear. And to push the matter further, NYPD's Captain Andrews has just assigned him on the Demonic case with a rather envious partner, Hendricks, who takes the blame for the prior night's massacre.

Demonic's concept is unexpectedly refreshing, and Kirkman darkens an ordinary man into an anti-hero whose policy checks but whose decisions remain questionable. Some of the characters, like Scott's wife Jamie, are mundanely lacking in personality, and altogether the characters could use more depth in writing. Still, it's hard not to want to read more. Kirkman and Benitez might just have a winner on their hands, but we'll have to see what other contenders Top Cow rolls out in the coming months.

Darkness: Shadows and Flame #1

The latest Darkness one-shot, told by Rob Levin and illustrated by Jorge Lucas, travels back to late 19th-century England for a man's redemption quest. Regretting past mistakes, Salvador Gomes means to revive the woman he once loved and save her from death. He seeks a power called the Shadow Man, believed to rewrite history if compelled. With a man named Teo's help, Salvador enters the Shadow Man's nightmare and endures pure darkness and horror in the hope of expressing his lone request. But Teo, the issue's narrator, weaves a sub-text throughout the story that hints at the man's truth and some of the Darkness' origins, as well.

Darkness: Shadows and Flame is wonderfully composed, functioning on a dual level that ultimately succeeds in its writing and the accompanying art. Levin shows us an uncomfortable, pitch black side of the Darkness that readers often idly forget. One man's pain doesn't equate with true misery, and who better to convince us than a Darkness host himself? With a heart for vengeance games and a bitter sense of forgiveness, Levin crafts quite a tale that can be enjoyed more than once.

Kick-Ass #8

The newest Kick-Ass issue, bundled with comic book throwbacks and plenty of bloody gore, wraps up Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s hot first arc and comes to a smooth halt. With the startling reveal concerning Red Mist's identity, Hit Girl and Big Daddy's plan to strike preemptively turned deadly—and not the way they thought. Dave aka "Kick-Ass" and the traumatized Hit Girl suffered more than betrayal, but they managed to scramble out of the fray and aim the heat toward their gang aggressors.

Dave Lizewski and Mindy McCready provide a classic superhero team-up complete with flamethrowers, dismemberment, and violence galore. But through the bloodstains and gun blasts lies the issue's heart. Kick-Ass #8 boasts a rather charming ending glossed with the right touch of humor and sentiment that rides perfectly on its own thrilling wave. Kick-Ass and his costumed allies started a culture phenomenon, but with every hero in tights and spandex rises a villain to match. Readers are left with an excellent cap on the first book and an enticing lead into the next.

Escape from Wonderland #4

Last Wednesday's Escape from Wonderland #4 (writer Raven Gregory and artist Daniel Leister) steps into a dreamworld as Callie, Alice Liddle's daughter, awakens to a normal life ... well, mostly. Her mother looks alive and well, and her father and brother top the healthy, pleasant family atmosphere. Even Callie's boyfriend visits and comforts her, and pinching herself fails to shatter the welcomed paradise.

Slips into the deranged realm of Wonderland, however, do. When visions from the nightmarish otherworld creep into her waking moments, Callie knows her happy ending comes with more than a few self-denying strings attached. She must either succumb to her picture perfect home delusion or fight whatever power created its falsity. Overall, the comic feels rather short-lived, even with the conclusion's heinous reveal and gruesome, blood-splattered, and sometimes seductive imagery. While not a bad endeavor, the issue doesn't necessarily bring anything to the Mad Hatter's table that you haven't tried before. Even so, the now unveiled identity of Wonderland's new Alice will feed your appetite. Series fans have the luxury of skipping or buying this one, but newcomers should wait an issue or two before exploring these murky Zenescope waters.

Good or bad, you can check out all of these comics in the Impulse Creations shop. Want to pick next month’s Pull-O-Rama comics? Email your suggestions and why to wita.onemetal@gmail.com.