Reviewer: Mathan Erhardt
Story Title: Black Flowers – Part Two
Written by: Mike Carey
Penciled by: Lee Bermejo
Inked by: Lee Bermejo
Colored by: Lee Loughridge
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: DC / Vertigo
In the conclusion of “Black Flowers†we find out exactly what is making the townspeople go loony, and who those wooden masked dudes are. Apparently someone opened a door to the Celtic realm of the dead near the place where Angie’s brother was institutionalized. This allowed spirits of the dead to run free and inhabit bodies of the living. So the first thing they do is experience physical activity, like eating, sex, and drinking. Well those wooden masked guys are the shepherds of the dead, just looking to round up their herd. Constantine saves the day, but realizes there is a larger picture to look at.
Carey is doing a great job on the title. I initially picked up this title because Brian Azzarello was writing. Carey has kept me on the title. His stories suck you in. His portrayal of a Constantine who really wants nothing to do with these situations, but keeps getting pulled in, makes the character all the more interesting. Plus the way he shows Constantine using his magic in an everyday sort of way makes it seem like second nature. Although I was kind of confused in the beginning of the issue, some time passes between the previous issue and this one, I just found it to be a little disjointing. While the previous issue had an amazing build up, this issue didn’t quite live up to the expectation that I had from the last. Despite this it was still a good read.
Bermejo makes pretty pictures. This issue was so beautifully rendered words escape me. The visuals perfectly match the mood of the issue, dark and scary. Loughridge did a fantastic job of coloring. It is dark yet vibrant at the same time. Of course Tim Bradstreet did an exceptional job on the cover.
All in all the issue was good. The art was perfect and the story was well done. I am looking forward to the next issue.
