If there is anything I love more than comics, it's comics that are made companies that aren't DC or Marvel. I'm a sucker for 90's Image comics as my main squeeze at my comic store will tell you. Last time I was in River City Comics in Berlin, New Jersey I picked up the used trade of
The Darkness. I was more familiar with the video game based off the comic series (though I've never played it). Never the less I was very curious so I decided to give this comic a read.
The Darkness is published by Top Cow comics who also brought us Witchblade and Lady Death.
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| I don't sing "I believe in a thing called love" |
The story is about a mob hitman named Jackie Estacado. If there's one this Jackie likes than pleasing his Uncle Frankie (the head of the Franchetti crime family), it's romancing the ladies. On his 21st birthday he is given the powers of The Darkness. He is gets a suit that morphs to his will and can summon many little demons to do his bidding. With this new found power Jackie has a few problems. One, a man named Sonatine has his childhood friend, Jenny, hostage. Sonatine's goal to be controlling Jackie and using The Darkness to influence the world in his image. Two, a being by the name of Angelus wants Jackie dead in order to kill off The Darkness for good so she can rule the world (a lot of that going around). Three, if Jackie gets any woman pregnant then he will immediately die and pass on the curse to his child who will receive it upon his or her 21st birthday (Jackie is very upset about this). Four, Jackie has a limit to all this power. The Darkness can only be used at night or in the shadows, sun light will stop him. Using his new found powers, will he be able to overcome all these issue? Well he seems to do pretty well for the first six issues.
Now, I love mobster anything. I find organized crime fascinating. So Jackie using his powers to help Uncle Frank remain at the top of the crime world is really neat. Estacado has to decide how far he is willing to go with The Darkness and for Jenny's sake, keep a little good inside of him. Jackie is a bad guy, but from our stand point he is the hero humanity needs.
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| He is going to save the world |
Garth Ennis writes the story for these books and I love it. There are parts that are strictly business, but there is witticism and comedy throughout the story. Jackie is a sarcastic jerk, but you can't help but like his character. Ennis has written for both John Constantine and The Punisher, this time he just combine the two into one awesome character. Marc Silvestri has a perfect style for this book. He helps to make everything look great and gives a sexy but sinister feel to everything. The design of costume is amazing with colors of green and gold in there instead of just black. Jackie's little demon friends aren't little devils with horns and cloven feet, they're little goblins with personality. The story and the art is well done in the book. I couldn't put the it down.
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| Also a licensed chiropractor |
The Darkness, to me, is a more refined and well thought out version of 90's Valiant, Image, and Malibu comics. Yes, pulpy gritty violence is rampant throughout the story, but the writing is the main focus. I was interested in the history of Jackie's father and the origins of Angelus and The Darkness. I laughed when Estacado cracked a sarcastic remark in the face of death. Great read really, I highly recommend picking this up for cheap. I'm super interested in picking up the next volume and seeing what Jackie further does with The Darkness. I actually want to go pick up the video game and give it a play for some extra story. I give the Darkness eight demon helpers with attitude out of ten. If you like anything Ennis has written then do yourself a favor at check it out.
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| For those about to rock |
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