The Quarter Bin

Last week, we brought you a preview of The Darkness #9 (legacy issue #73), in which we finally find out more about why Jackie lost his darkness powers and just what the mysterious man from the end of issue #8 wants from him. Hit the jump for the full review.

The Darkness #9/#73
Writer: Phil Hester
Artist: Jorge Lucas
Cover Artists: Jorge Lucas, Matt Timson

Jackie Estacado’s life has been torture this year. The guy really can’t catch a break. His powers have been missing in action for months, he has faced death and destruction at every turn, and now he’s been captured by a hired assassin and has woken up to face a mysterious man that he can’t hurt and can’t escape. In issue #9, Estacado finds out that the reason he no longer wields the darkness is because his soul is gone, trapped in Hell. This new being has the power to bring it back, but only if Jackie runs some errands on his behalf. In other words, Jackie Estacado is forced to make a deal with the devil.

This is a compelling start to a new storyline, and in my opinion, a good place for new readers to jump on. Anyone can understand the struggle of having to redeem one’s soul at such a terrible price. As you can imagine, the “favors” that are asked of Jackie will probably place more blood on his hands, which is ironically the only way that he can save his soul. I’m very interested in seeing where this goes.

There is an excellent use of color in this issue, as artist Jorge Lucas does an excellent job of using vivid reds and oranges before descending into darkness, the way Jackie’s life is typically seen. Lucas really knows how to set the tone of the story with his artwork, and this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed his style. Jorge Lucas and Phil Hester are, once again, a great team on this series, and I hope to see them working on it together for the foreseeable future.