The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 Advanced Review

The Demon: Hell is Earth #1

Writer: Andrew Constant
Penciler: Brad Walker
Inker: Andrew Hennesy
Colourist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics

A Review by Josh Rose

Gone, gone form of man. Arise the Demon, Etrigan!

This has been the year of Jack Kirby. Mister Miracle, Bug! Adventures of Forager, Kamandi Challenge, and now we have a new series about comics’ most famous demon, Etrigan. The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 sees Jason Blood and Etrigan experiencing visions in their new home, Death Valley, California, when a nuclear missile lands nearby, destroying the area and weakening the barrier between Earth and Hell.

What I really like about The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 is how it explores the relationship between Jason Blood and Etrigan. I haven’t had the opportunity to read many comics with Etrigan. I’ve seen animated shows featuring the character and the idea of being eternally bonded to a demon seemed to be Blood’s driving force more than actually being haunted by him. Andrew Constant has the Demon and Blood interacting with each other, mostly Etrigan haunting Blood as much as possible. That additional element and Etrigan’s sadism really adds to the horror of Blood’s situation. And apparently Etrigan only rhymes sometimes. It’s not a permanent condition… See what I did there?

Brad Walker nailed the classic Kirby look for Etrigan while adding some spikes to his costume. It makes the demon even more terrifying. The demon knight look from the New 52 was cool but there’s something deceptive about a demon wearing a jester’s costume. Andrew Hennesy’s inks really add to the tone of the book. Right off the bat, the pages are dark and moody. They get thinner and lighter in the moments before the missile lands, like the calm before the storm, and then they get heavy and thick again right after.

Chris Sotomayor does a fantastic job on the colours. He uses a lot of reds and oranges, fitting really since this is a story about Hell coming to Earth and there’s a lot of fire and smoke. The skies after the missile lands are a mix of pinks and greys, and it’s stunning. Sotomayor and Hennesy really makes you feel like the world is burning.

The Verdict: Buy it!

The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 is a new take on a classic Kirby property. And it looks to be a character-driven story complete with a horrific monstrosity. I look forward to seeing the creative team explore the relationship between man and Etrigan. Whether your a fan of Etrigan, character-driven plot, or just beautiful art full of action, this is certain to be a series that won’t be bland.