"Born Again"
Writer: John Byrne, Will Pfeiffer
Artists: John Byrne(p), Nekros(i), Alex Bleyeart(c)
Publisher: DC
John Byrne has before written and drawn the Demon for DC. In fact, it's a character to which he frequently returns. First teaming up Etrigan with Superman in Action Comics Byrne also had him guest-star in Wonder Woman. Byrne with Will Pfeiffer now takes the Demon into his fourth solo-flight.
Byrne characterizes the Demon and Jason Blood as well as he did in Action Comics, which I felt was truer to the spirit of the character than the tampered version in Wonder Woman. Jason seems more at ease with the Demon's presence. He readily calls for him, and even without the Demon at his command; Jason fights with the experience an immortal should possess.
Blood of the Demon strongly adheres the Kirby series. Time has certainly passed. Things have changed. Others--such as Randu's wife--have come into the lives of the Kirby cast and make nice additions. Jason Blood still lives in Batman's town and from Gotham fights the supernatural all over the world. This time the threat comes close to home, and the occult master nesting in Gotham takes on a Lovecraftian air that makes him otherworldly rather than eldritch and hokey.
Batman's reliance on logic and rationality gives Jason Blood a niche to fulfil that Byrne and his writing partner Pfeiffer deftly elaborate. Neither of them wastes time. After being removed from the occult master's clutches, Jason strategically and in defiance of modern day comic book convention gets medieval on the occult master's ass within the issue held in the reader's hands and within a day of his release. Things get even worse for the vile magic-user when Etrigan fully arises and tantalizes the reader with an intriguing cliffhanger.
Blood of the Demon does not retread old territory. The series differs from the Jack Kirby original in one very noticeable way. The tone Byrne and Pfeiffer evoke is more mature. This aspect of the book allows for demonic grue to be spilled and a terrified woman to be nude sacrifice. While the nudity of both male and female characters is tastefully concealed, the presence of skin places Blood of the Demon in the Hammer realm of horror. Byrne and Pfeiffer very easily persuade you that it belongs there.
My only caveat comes from the "vamp-faced" Jason Blood action figure. He and Angel seem to be separated at birth. The "vamp-face" hasn't been previously seen in any of the other Demon series and really just seems to be an unnecessary reminder of Joss Whedon's show not an allusion to previous Demon work.
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