It’s another Wednesday on the comic book store shelves and it’s another DC title that gets my attention. Sorry to all you Marvel lovers out there, but this was always going to be DC’s month. Still, if you just need to read a comic, any comic from the “House of Ideas,” then go pick up Ultimate Comics Spider-Man # 1. Not for the fact that Spider-Man is now Miles Morales, a teenager of African-American and Latino decent, which might prove interesting in itself, but for the amazing Sara Pichelli artwork!
I’ve already discussed my 10 most anticipated titles of DC’s new 52 comics appearing throughout the month (you can read about them here and here), but it’s Demon Knights that has raised my eyebrow this week.
Demon Knights #1
Written by: Paul Cornell
Illustrated by: Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert
DC Comics
Written by Paul Cornell, he of top-rated new title, Stormwatch, fame, Demon Knights is set in the dark ages of the DC Universe and stars the more magically gifted of the publisher’s list of characters. Ageless Madame Xanadu is here along with Jason Blood – which means that Etrigan the Demon is not far behind. In fact, there he is on the cover, emboldened by shiny armour and a crazy, impractical sword!
Expect the mystical arts to take centre stage here, in Arthurian times, as savage battles between our heroes and barbarian hordes intermingle with intricate politics between the forces of good and those that wish to control the entire world. The stories should serve to lay the foundations of the present-day DC Universe.
And it’s that foundation building that has peaked my interest. Cornell has already intimated that Demon Knights may very well be the precursor to his Stormwatch comic book. If that’s true, then I’ll be around to connect the dots. Another important tidbit the writer has shared in regards to this title are his intentions for Demon Knights to be DC’s Game of Thrones.
Mighty words, indeed.
Anytime you can mix politics, war-mongering and gamesmanship with medieval villains, arcane magic and bloodlust, I’ll be there. And you should too. Demon Knights looks to be the most different from anything else that DC Comics is publishing. For that reason alone, we should all make the Wednesday run and check the first issue out!
Every Wednesday, JP makes the after-work run to his local downtown comic book shop. Comics arrive on Wednesdays you see and JP, fearful that the latest issue will sell out, rushes out to purchase his copy. This regular, weekly column highlights a particularly interesting release, written in short order, of course, because JP has to get his – before someone else does!
