Friday 19 July 2013

Review: Demon Knights #22

So, after putting this post off in favour of trying to convince the world (and hopefully succeeding, eventually) to check out Think Tank (see here if interested), I did consider just not writing something about Demon Knights #22. However, given that I don't have many issues left of DC medievel Justice League, and as I write more about this book than any other (see here, here, here, here, here, here and here), I figured I should take advantage of saying what I think about the series while I still can.
 
Demon Knights #22 by
Robert Venditti and
Chad Harkin

And so, the story picks up where the previous issue ended, with the Demon Knights now in possession of the Holy Grail, while Vandal Savage is left behind, captured by the giants whom the Grail was in possession of. Of course, Savage being Savage, he's more than happy to betray for his own ends and so happily offers the Giants the knowledge as to where his teammates will go. Therefore, while returning to Al Jabr's city for rest and resupply, the remaining Knights find themselves face to face with an army of giants (with a captured Savage in tow) in a battle for the Grail, which has already shown what it can do on the Horsewoman.

Al Jabr should really take
better care of the Grail.
I'm gonna be so sad to see this series go, as Demon Knights has such a fun read with a dry sense of humour and this issue is no exception. Robert Venditti has picked up the voices of these characters without skipping a beat and i think has displayed them more than capably since taking over the series. As for the art, while I was a bit taken back in the last issue by Hardin's art as it wasn't Chang and I suck at dealing with change, however, I'm used to it now and I really love this style. Chad Hardin has placed artwork that is very off kilter to what is about at the moment, with the whole issue resembling the a dream sequence almost, especially with a kind of hue to the panels. It's truly beautiful work and makes me sad there isn't much of it in this book left to appreciate.

Unfortunately, this book is a slight let down in comparison to much of Venditti's run, though I think that may be because of its status as the penultimate issue. Given that only the final installment remains, I can forgive that here there is an awful lot of exposition as, no doubt, the creative team are trying to get their ducks in a row in order to finish with a big action piece. Also, I just realised that Etrigan, arguably the main character of the book, does not appear at all, but again this might be just saving him for the whole of the next issue (in which case, bye bye Jason Blood)

Overall, this book, even though it's a low point for the series, was still very enjoyable (especially the panels where they are attacked by common thieves, like common thieves could take them out) and, despite the final panel which I truly disliked (in a similar vein to the whole Batgirl thing at the start of New 52), I really can't wait to see how this series wraps up and (if possible) where these characters end up.

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