Hell Yeah! — James Harren’s ‘The Demon’ Reviewed

With Ultramega, James Harren delivered arguably one of the best Image Comics in last decade; therefore anything he did next would be worth reader attention. He brings his signature style to DC Comics, and not to a major Justice League-level superhero, but to a rather obscure Jack Kirby creation with The Demon. Many casual readers (this reviewer included) may be only vaguely familiar with the Demon because of the character’s brief appearances in the Batman: The Brave and The Bold animated show. All you really need to know: the protagonist is Jason Blood, and he’s possessed by the rhyming demon Etrigan. Both have mysterious connections to the fantasy world of Camelot.

Harren takes concepts from the 1970s Kirby comic and makes them feel fresh, contemporary, and surprising. It’s a unique challenge to reinvent comic characters, but Harren makes several bold and clever choices. Instead of a well-dressed, dapper gentleman, we see Jason Blood as a wandering vagabond warrior combating monstrous creatures that are invisible to the naked eye. Members of the supporting cast from the original Demon comics are reintroduced with a subversive twist. It’s this de-familiarization of comic characters that makes the opening issue an entertaining read and exciting for new readers.

Kirby’s artwork and characters have often struggled connecting with contemporary readers in a non-nostalgic way. Fortunately, Harren is confident enough to make the book his own. Yes, there is Kirby’s fantastic technology, but it’s also combined with a biopunk sensibility and a touch of absurd humor.

If there is a sour note within this rock opera, it’s that some of the social satire comes across as “Those darn kids with their darn phones!” Many readers are experiencing “social issue fatigue.” We know that times are tough and social media sucks the joy out of everything, but that’s why we read handcrafted comics by unique artists to bring a little more joy back into the world.

The Demon is a bold start to what will hopefully be a long and successful dark fantasy series. Fans of Harren’s work on Ultramega will feel right at home with The Demon. It’s written and drawn like an indie comic. If DC is smart, they’ll green-light The Demon as a 12-issue series.