Written by John Byrne
Art by John Byrne; Will Pfeifer; ‘Nekros;’ Pat Brosseau; & Alex Bleyaert
Cover Art by John Byrne
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for July 2005, this issue is entitled “Friends & Enemies.” In the Batcave, amidst Etrigan’s arrival in Gotham City, Batman relates the Demon’s Arthurian-related origin to Alfred. Batman then relies on Zatanna Zatara’s help to find Etrigan. Jason Blood telepathically urges his married friends, Randu & Anjeli, to help Batman.
At a construction site, the Dark Knight stuns Etrigan long enough for Blood to regain mystical control of their shared form. Confused by Etrigan’s recent actions, Batman gives Blood twelve hours to find sufficient answers. At a hospital, Morgan Le Fey recruits a man with severe facial injuries to serve as her replacement henchman. Elsewhere, in Montreal, legal aide Ruth Simmons has a peculiar new roommate.
Note: There’s a brief scene implying Zatanna’s nudity, as she races out of the shower to answer Batman’s phone call.
REVIEW:
Reliably enhanced by John Byrne’s distinctive style, this storyline conveys a welcome sense of unpredictability. Batman vs. Etrigan delivers on that score re: a pair of excellent fight scenes. Still, two odd items re: Zatanna’s guest appearance are left unexplained. One, unless the sorceress whimsically changes outfits during an ongoing scene, she is suddenly wearing a completely different and Raven-like blue ensemble during her telepathic message to the Justice League. It’s hard to imagine this continuity gaffe from Byrne, as it’s clearly not a coloring mistake by the art team.
Secondly, why doesn’t a worried Zatanna herself come to Batman’s aid, if she can’t reach the Justice League for back-up? Other than Batman would resent her interference, it isn’t conveyed why Zatanna isn’t joining Batman for a more plausible 2-on-1 tag-team vs. Etrigan. Another oddity is that the single-page Ruth Simmons scene comes of nowhere. Unless there’s a pertinent plot thread, its inclusion doesn’t make sense. For the most part, a decent script and solid visuals ensure that Blood of the Demon # 3 is worth perusing.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The “DC in Demand” column hypes various DC projects and offers a cover reveal for Blood of the Demon # 4.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
