Reviewer: Mathan Erhardt
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Penciled and inked by: Phil Winslade
Lettered by: Nick Napolitano
Colored by: Chris Chuckry
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics
Can I just say for the record, that I love Golems? They are like the coolest things ever. I even kind of like what Ragman has become. Phew, there I got that off my chest.
This issue opens on a brutal home invasion. While the outcome isn’t good, a mysterious force does make sure that justice is served.
Then we flashback three weeks to a couple of kids running the streets who also happen to be deep into the street life. We find out that one of the kids, Alice, is trying to stay clean, and that she’s on the run from someone. But it turns out that the guy who is chasing her isn’t from the person she is trying to avoid; he’s actually a lawyer trying to handle affairs of her grandmother’s estate. He gives her his card, and she blows him off.
While looking for a place to crash, she runs into Prince, the guy she is running from. Their encounter is anything but pleasant as she ends up in the hospital with a broken arm.
After that incident she decides to look up the lawyer.
He takes her to her grandmother’s house, which she now owns provided she follows the rules put forth in the will. She stays the night, but is awakened by a voice. She follows the voice down to the basement where she discovers a room full of books.
Meanwhile Prince is looking for Alice, and roughing up her friends to get to her. A confrontation appears inevitable. Alice on the other hand believes that the voice is just part of her withdrawal. But since it keeps urging her to read to it, she finally gives in. She reads her grandmother’s journal, and discovers the origin of the creature, that goes all the way back to the 1930’s. Oh yeah, and Prince is on his way to grandmother’s house.
This is a pretty cool concept. Palmiotti and Gray do a great job of creating characters that are pretty three-dimensional. Alice is a pretty complex individual, and Prince is scary. Mr. Janos is a pretty mysterious character. The origin is very touching. But I really can’t wait to see what happens to Prince.
The art is perfect. The look of Winslade’s art perfectly matches the setting. Both are dark and moody, kind of gritty. The character designs are very distinct. And when we finally see the Monolith and the end of the issue, he looks way creepy. And so does the reflection in the blade on the last panel.
On a side note, while the issue does run $3.50, it is double sized. You actually get two issues for the price of one and a half. It’s an amazing deal. It is worth it.
