Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Demon Knights # 3

By Koppy McFad
November 13, 2011 - 01:00

   Etrigan and his Demon Knights fortify a medieval village to withstand an attack by a monsterous horde. But are they doing more harm than good?

   This issue cuts back on the action and instead focuses on the characters of the Demon Knights. Madame Xanadu is seen cheating on Etrigan with Jason Blood while Etrigan shows that despite his supposedly heroic actions, that he is truly a creature of hell.

   The rest of the 'knights' give clues as to their background without confirming the details. As they are the 'new' members of the cast, they need the panel space even more than Etrigan and Xanadu. The newcomers are interesting enough as supporting characters but none of them look ready to break out as fan favourites and some, like the Arab and the horsewoman, are almost forgettable.

   It is in the variety of reactions of the innocent village-folk that the story rises above the normal. They are depicted as courageous, foolish, sympathetic and conflicted: fearful of the threat approaching them but also concerned about these bizarre beings who claim to be their saviours.

   It is a quite a change of the dozens of 'civilians' in the new DC comics who get slaughtered by the bushelful, without anyone knowing or caring about them, just to raise the gore-meter and to show everybody that the new DC is so 'mature.'

   Unfortunately, the art lets this story down. It has a scratchiness to it that makes the period setting and bizarre creatures all look like they were taken from a sword-and-sandal B movie. Even worse, the crucial, dramatic scene at the end is spoiled because the artist fails to properly build it up to show just how horrifying it is suppose to be.

 

Rating: 6.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12