STORMWATCH #14

[ A STORMY AND DEMONIC SALE ] 

Now who's coming back to this team? I hope that it isn't former sex-addict, Martin Sheen. Midnighter will be aghast. Jenny will think it a blast. Because he once starred in a movie with James Dean. Well, that what these guys told me! Writer: Peter Milligan; Artists: Will Conrad and Cliff Richards; and Publisher: DC Comics in December 2012.

So what’s the STORY morning glory?

Alright, so whose shoes would you rather be in during this second part of 'The Rise of the Demon'?

• Etrigan: Because this yellow-faced immortal knows more about Stormwatch, than what Stormwatch know about him!
• Stormwatch: Because this rag-tag group of secret defenders have to hide their battle with Etrigan with a dormant shield, which is something that may cause dire repercussions later!
• A skinny street-urchin: Because this poor sap is used by Etrigan to fight again another day!
• Or would it be the fourth Shadow Lord: Because his sudden re-emergence will spell doom and gloom for one and all next issue?

Damn right to be continued...

What is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Maybe this is just my more sardonic side speaking, but I did like Etrigan's opening remark in this issue, when he was looking down at the fallen Midnighter and said to Apollo -- 'I am indeed most terribly sorry. If I'd known he meant so much to you, I would have stretched out his death and made it more agonizing. See. I care nothing for petty bleating of man. I am the mighty -- much-hearted -- and all-round extraordinary demon, Etrigan'.

Well, this piece of pithy prose does have a somewhat pious edge to it, huh?

What was the BEST thing about this issue?

I am a big Demon fan; and have followed this character for many years now (click here for my 411). So when I read in this issue that he will now only talk in rhyme under duress? Well? I suddenly became very vocal about this fact -- 'f*ck' -- to the point when I actually put the book down, and started to pontificate if it was a good thing or not.

Yes. Yes, it is. Not only does this layer add something new to the Demon mythos, but it also pleases both the rhyming and non-rhyming camps. Two for one! Who can say fairer than that?

What was the WORST thing about this issue?

If truth be told, there were two scenarios in this tale that I wasn't very happy about. Firstly, the way that the Etrigan / Stormwatch battle resolved itself came across very fleeting in execution -- ka-pow -- finito. And secondly, I wasn't convinced one little bit with how the fourth 'Shadow Lord' introduced himself to his brethren -- nah -- too forced.

What was the most CREATIVE thing about this issue?

STORY: There was a part in the story where Jenny told the Engineer that by erecting a shield, people in the periphery could contract cancer. Now -- to me -- on a creative level -- I did enjoy the fact that Jen's powers do have their side-effects. It just show's that not everything in the world of super-heroes are clean-cut and crystal clear. 

ART: I would like to take this opportunity to welcome onboard the new artist on this title, Will Conrad, and say that I really do like his work. His facial expressions are expressive. His actions scenes are well choreographed. And by in large I really do dig his cinematic layouts.

However, in this issue, I didn't feel that Will's and Cliff Richards's art worked in harmony together, as it appeared slightly distracting only when 'background art' merged in with 'foreground art'.

Not a big complaint though. Only a minor gripe at best.

If you had to CAST TWO CHARACTERS in this comic book, who would they be and why?

THE DEMON: If you haven't guessed by now, this week I'm casting all in sundry as if they were stand-up comedians. So who better to choose from, to represent this yellow-hued demon, than Robin Williams himself! He is the devil in human form don't you know! Hahahaha!

THE ENGINEER: Now there is only one funny lady I'd love to rub with silver-polish twenty-four hours a day. Yep. Sarah Silverman. Pleasing to the eye. Funny to the bone. Shinny to the touch.

If this issue had a MOVIE TAG LINE, what would it be?

Life Can Be Hard For A Rhyming Demon. Too Many Sharks, Not Enough Seaman.

If this issue were a MOVIE, an OBJECT, or a piece of MUSIC, what would that be and why? 

OK, so what do we have in this story then? A demon. A team. A ploy. And a funky tone that was both innovative and pants at the same time. So what if I compare it to the movie 'Hellraiser 2'? That was both funny and pants, huh?

FINAL thoughts...

Dear Peter Milligan -- The Man with the Pen in His Hand and a Gun in His Pocket,

Thank you very much for a really good read this month. I'm happy that this team is starting to act like a team now. Plus I'm pleased that the Demon is back in the modern day DCnU.

However, the one thing I am not too jolly about, is why a large chunk of this team seem to act as subservient characters, when once upon a time they where the main stars of the show.

Listen. Don't get me wrong. I like Midnighter and Apollo; and feel that their budding romance can really add a sense of drama to this title. But what about Jack? Huh? He's hardly been spotlighted at all. And although Jenny and the Engineer both had some time to shine in the past, now -- nish -- the 'exposition girls' plain and simple.

Come on Peter; pull your finger out, mate! I know you can kick ass and take names like the best of them. You are Mister Characterisation by a mile. I'd like to see it a bit more is all.

Love Light And Please, The Reviewer.

MARKS out of 10? 8.9