Sheep Comic Review: Darkness 101-Part 1

The Darkness 101

"THE CRACK IN EVERYTHING", PART 1

Hot on the heels of THE DARKNESS II video game release, Top Cow proudly welcomes the new creative team of DAVID HINE (THE DARKNESS: FOUR HORSEMEN, THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN) and JEREMY HAUN (ARTIFACTS, BATTLE HYMN, Detective Comics).

On the surface, Jackie Estacado has everything he ever wanted - control of the Darkness, a successful career, and happy family life. Only his desire to make his life truly perfect will be his undoing.

Jackie seems to have the life he has always wanted, a wife, a daughter, full control of the Darkness. Sadly not all dreams have a happy ending.

Jackie comes home from working overnight to be greeted by his daughter Hope (refer to Artifacts storyline), Hope heads off to the kitchen with the nanny to make breakfast. Jackie heads upstairs to see his wife Jenny, she is pretty upset (use of the f bomb is used quite a few times). Jenny knows all about Jackie and the Darkness, it seems that they had an agreement that he would never use the Darkness for business reasons. It seems that someone has tipped Jenny off about an incident that took place the night before. Jackie tries to explain to Jenny that he had no choice this time, he was ambushed; since the security at the office is supposed to be very strict (anyone entering is frisked for weapons). Somehow two members of a Bulgarian mob made their way into the office, Jackie was hoping that this was going to be a peaceful talk and there would be no bloodshed.

Jackie asks Jenny who informed her, she will not give a name, Jackie is upset at this point that he states he will find out, Jenny in turn tells Jackie that if anything happens to “him” she is leaving and taking Hope with her. Jenny fears for her life and for Hope's life, and the ultimatum of “The Darkness goes or we go” is given.

Jackie turns to one person that has defeated the Darkness before and has lived to tell

the story. [Aram was a powerful Witch-King in the African land of Pwenet over 10,000 years ago. He was also a host of The Darkness and used his powers to win his war against the united tribes of The Seven Steppes, until he exorcised him from his body.] Aram the Witch-King has agreed to come to Jackie’s house to free the Darkness from Jackie. Jackie has one week to free himself from this “curse” or Jenny and Hope are gone. Aram explains to Jackie that he cannot get to close to Jackie while trying to summon up the Darkness, since he has a negating effect, that the Darkness will try to hide deeper inside Jackie to get away from Aram. Jackie tries for days to summon the Darkness, to the point that Aram starts beating Jackie with this staff. Jackie is so exhausted from this that he claims that he wants to die, Aram reminds him that this is what the Darkness wants, once Jackie dies the Darkness will carry on to the next of kin, which happens to be Hope. Thinking that Hope can be the next bearer makes Jackie so angry that he is finally able to summon the Darkness. It is explained at this point that “There is more pleasure to be had in evil than in good. Hate is stronger than love.”

Jackie is able to expel the Darkness from his body, the Darkness has nowhere to go, there is nowhere or hide. Jackie thinks it is over with, Aram tells him otherwise. Aram reaches over gripping Jackie’s head between his hands, you can see that there is in fact remains of the Darkness hiding. Since two things cannot occupy the same space, the last of the Darkness is removed from Jackie. Aram and Jackie are both passed out on the floor from this whole ordeal. Meanwhile the Darkness starts to take on a shadow form that looks like Jackie. This form makes its way up through the house, into the bedroom to grab some clothes, in the background you see Hope standing in the doorway. After “Dark” Jackie is dressed, he turns around to look at Hope, reaching out his hand to her. The real Jackie comes to, says one word“Hope” the scene cuts back to “Dark” Jackie with Hope holding his hand, the last words seen are “My Child”

The art style for the series has changed a bit; it now has a darker grittier look, which I think fits the feeling of what is going on in the story line now.

I am highly anxious to see where this story line is going, and if Jackie is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and take the Darkness back into his body to save his daughter, or will Hope be the new bearer of the Darkness?

Knowing that Jackie changed the destiny of the other characters from the Artifacts story just so he can have his ultimate dream, was it really worth it just to possibly lose it all again?

I'm going to give this one a 4.5 out of 5 just because this is not a full re-set for Jackie, like it was for Sara.

~DD~