Newsarama’s Best Shots reviews THE DARKNESS #7

The Darkness #7
Writer: Phil Hester
Pencils: Jorge Lucas
Colors: Lee Loughridge
From: Top Cow Comics
Reviewed by: Richard Renteria

The current issue of Darkness makes the perfect entry point for any reader curious about the character. While not dwelling on his somewhat complex history and by minimizing the continuity of Jackie Estacado and his relationship with his curse, the Darkness, the story moves at a rather brisk pace with some fun twists and turns.

Interestingly enough for a character who has been defined by his look for most of his existence there is little trace of the Darkness with the exception of a brief flashback that does an excellent job of succinctly capturing the overall effects of Estacado’s curse but not dwelling to long on the explanations making for a more coherent read.

The setting and premise of the story is nothing new to the horror genre; man stumbles on a town with a dark secret, in this case a witch who protects the town in exchange for their dreams, which he must somehow escape. Again not the most original concept but thanks to the fluid writing style of Phil Hester the issue manages to give the well-worn premise a slight spit-shine which allows readers new and old the chance to get a clear idea of who the main character is and the curse he carries with him, while still telling an entertaining story. Hester also adds a new layer to Estacado’s life in the form of a potential sidekick in the vein of Batman’s Robin. READ MORE.

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