So I needed something light after “The Children of Hurin.” I guess I shouldn’t have picked up “The Damned.” Actually, it is pulp fiction in the strictest sense. So there weren’t a lot of tough themes to dig through and process. It’s heavy only in its subject matter. It’s something good little Christian parents probably wouldn’t want their children reading. The only reason I’ve even heard of it is because my local comics shop ordered too many copies and was selling them at half price.
Basically it’s a story about a man who was cursed/sold his soul, so he keeps coming back from the dead. He can be killed for sure, and is several times through the book, but the next person to touch his dead body dies instantly and Eddie comes back. And of course Eddie works for one of the local mob families that inhabit his ’30s era world. Except these aren’t your every-day, run-of-the mill mobs. These “families” are made up mostly of demons who wear snappy suits.
I won’t give away too much of the story. It’s a case of sabotage and finding out who’s behind it. It unfolds fairly predictably, but that’s not to say it’s not enjoyable.
The black and white art jumps off a few pages, but often it just as often falls flat, looking like an amateur interpretation of a Dick Tracy strip. And the demon characters are too often unintentionally funny.
There’s some excellent banter between characters, and they read quite comfortably. The language is dated enough to set the tone, but not so forced that it causes one’s brow to furrow.
It’s fun book to spend a Saturday afternoon on. I’d probably even read another volume in the series if the price were right.
This entry is part of the Open Books project I’m doing.
How’s life?