The Curse Of Brimstone #4 - DC Comics

THE CURSE OF BRIMSTONE No. 4, September 2018

Arguably featuring the ongoing series’ first self-contained story, Justin Jordan’s “classic water verses fire showdown” for Issue Four of “The Curse Of Brimstone” must surely have pleased the majority of the comic’s 13,741 readers in July 2018, with its pulse-pounding pugilism and the welcome appearance of the mysterious Enoch; “a former agent of the Salesman, granted powers in exchange for working for the… Home Office". In fact, having firmly established both the background to the titular character’s origin and his cataclysmic powers across this book’s preceding three instalments, “All That Remains” is debatably the Pennsylvania-born writer’s opening opportunity to pen a proper adventure for Joseph Chamberlain’s fiery alter-ego to undertake as a bona fide super-hero. 

Interestingly however, it isn’t this twenty-page periodical’s main protagonist who captures either the spotlight or probably its audience’s imagination, but his truly horrific-looking adversary Detritus. Somehow transformed by the Faustian super-powers broker into a multi-skulled giant water creature, this gruesome monstrosity, superbly pencilled by incoming artist Eduardo Pansica, disconcertingly sets ‘alight’ every sequence within which he features, whether it be liquefying an unnamed victim in the now extinct town of Aitch or horrifically having his skeleton’s spine literally torn out from inside his liquid torso, and resultantly it actually seems a real pity that Elijah dies at the conclusion of his fast-flowing fisticuffs with York Hills’ Brimstone.

Similarly disheartening is the abrupt departure of the mysteriously powerful Enoch, who despite needing to have the red-haired Annie point a loaded gun at his head so as to prevent him from finishing off her battle-weary brother, would undoubtedly have made an intriguingly welcome permanent addition to the Chamberlains’ party. Shrouded in inscrutability, and somehow able to steal just “enough juice to finally stop” the Salesman’s creations, this lone ‘gunslinger’ raises infinitely more questions as to the strange world where “it’s always decaying, always rotting” than he answers. Indeed, his apparent ‘intimate’ knowledge of “the Batman Who Laughs... from Earth-22 of the Dark Multiverse”, as well as Detritus' background, makes him fascinating to ‘listen to’ even when he’s simply catching a fish which would rival Springfield’s Blinky the Three-Eyed Fish when it comes to piscine mutations; “Corruption. This place is tainted, scarred. The Salesman is just an appendage. Imagine sticking your fingers in this water. To the fish, it would look like five worms. But they aren’t worms. All extensions of something bigger. Just one thing that looks like many. That’s what the Salesman is.”

Storytellers: Eduardo Pansica & Justin Jordan, and Inks: Julio Ferreira

The Curse Of Brimstone #3 - DC Comics

THE CURSE OF BRIMSTONE No. 3, August 2018

Selling just 15,949 units in June 2018, a disappointing drop of over four thousand copies on its previous instalment, Justin Jordan’s treatment for Issue Three of “The Curse Of Brimstone” arguably provided its audience with both a reasonably neat conclusion to the new title’s opening story-arc, and a moment of true tragedy which will doubtless haunt its titular character for the foreseeable future. Indeed, “Inferno: Finale” unquestionably packs plenty of punch within its twenty pages, as Joseph Chamberlain’s fiery alter-ego literally goes toe-to-toe with the ever-boastful Hound and Annie demonstrates a strength of will perhaps rarely seen before in a secondary cast member when she clobbers the Salesman straight into his next incarnation; “You kill me here, I am a dozen other places. It won’t matter--”

Luckily however, the co-creator of “The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode” doesn’t just use this comic to pen a straightforward fist-fight, and adds plenty of gravitas to its pulse-pounding proceedings by continually having the bizarrely-masked “persuasive operative working for… the Home Office” persistently offer the red-headed siblings deal after tempting deal. These emotional enticements, which initially start with the Faustian manipulator simply threatening to fatally slice the throat of Darren if the old man’s son doesn’t finish turning his local town into “human ash statues”, soon degenerate into bargains involving letting the demonic agent go, as well as him offering Brimstone’s sister the possibility of her not needing “to study for your nursing degree anymore”, and all add to the proceeding’s palpable tension through the possibility that at some point someone might actually yield to what’s being offered…

Coupled with the flurry of blows being exchanged between Joseph and his female super-powered adversary, plus the frail welfare of the human mutate’s evidently vulnerable father whose mortality constantly seems to lurch from one danger to another, such poignant story-telling genuinely produces a real roller-coaster of a ride, with every other turn of the page debatably causing the reader’s heart to race in anticipation of what artist Philip Tan may (or may not) pencil next. In fact at one point, just before the cold-blooded killer is momentarily surprised by Annie’s dad bodily bowling her to the ground, it actually looks as if Brimstone will be dispatched with an icy stake through the heart and his sister offered a similar deal to replace him in exchange for not bludgeoning the Salesman to death with a baseball bat.

Storytellers: Philip Tan & Justin Jordan, and Colorist: Rain Beredo

The Curse Of Brimstone #2 - DC Comics

THE CURSE OF BRIMSTONE No. 2, July 2018

Justin Jordan and Philip Tan’s storytelling for Issue Two of “The Curse Of Brimstone” must surely have provided a modicum of entertainment for many of this comic’s 20,244 strong audience in May 2018, what with its narrative’s emotional interplay between Joe Chamberlain and his strong-willed, determined sister, as well as the book’s subsequent brutal battle between the titular character and the Hound. But whilst the Pennsylvania-born writer’s script undoubtedly contains plenty of plot progression and pulse-pounding action, especially towards the end of the book as Annie fearlessly drives at the Salesman’s frosty servant in a car, the sense of personal realism which arguably made its previous instalment such compelling entertainment, is somewhat unaccountably lacking within this particular twenty-page periodical.

For starters, despite spending a considerable amount of ‘sheet-space’ patiently exploring the young man’s fiery curse, alongside his sibling’s almost simultaneous discovery of her brother’s fiery condition, the couple’s combined reaction to his apparent destruction of “the whole town” is to rather illogically seek out the “persuasive operative” working for the mysterious Home Office, despite the fact they know their “Dad’s out plowing so that emergency crews can get around. True, the pair quickly agree that “the devil” who transformed the jobless Joseph “tricked you into a bad deal with promises and persuasion”, yet as their father is out in such a dangerous environment, wouldn’t his children's first thoughts actually be to ensure his safety..?

Instead, courtesy of the ‘partially destroyed’ small settlement’s internet contrivingly still operating, Jo and Annie assume an unconvincing ‘Scooby Gang’ mentality by investigating a “thread… about a town in Oklahoma where something like what you saw in your dream happened”, and resultantly soon find themselves unashamedly rummaging through the “only room rented out” at the York Hills Inn looking for clues. Unbelievably, to make matters even more coincidental though, this publication’s audience are then asked to believe the Salesman would leave his ledger containing all his “transactions” behind; “He destroyed them all. Every town was emptied out. One was drowned, another fell to… cannibalism. I think that’s what he wants… To make every place a nightmare version of themselves.”

Fortunately, despite Jordan’s script feeling somewhat reminiscent of a Seventies Hannah-“Barbera Productions” animated television series, Tan’s instantly recognisable artwork imbues this comic’s cast with plenty of animated life, even when the dialogue-heavy, somewhat sedentary scene in question simply depicts a naked Chamberlain being roused from a nightmare by his concerned, similarly red-headed relation, or Annie answering her mobile phone to discover her father “has told” this title’s lead antagonist “so much about you.” Indeed, the Manilan’s scintillating sketching of Brimstone’s battle with the Hound is debatably this book’s highlight moment, with the astonishingly swift, cold-hearted “demonic agent” appearing disconcertingly deadly even though she is facing a hero capable of manipulating Hellfire itself.

Storytellers: Philip Tan & Justin Jordan, and Colorist: Rain Beredo

The Curse Of Brimstone #1 - DC Comics

THE CURSE OF BRIMSTONE No. 1, June 2018

Announced by Justin Jordan whilst on the “New Age of DC Heroes” panel at New York Comic Con, the Pennsylvania-born author was quite correct in his assertion that his script for Issue One of “The Curse Of Brimstone” both looks and feels “much different than a lot of DC superhero titles.” For whilst the twenty-page periodical’s plot appears slightly reminiscent of the ‘naively sell your soul to the Devil’ narrative readers might expect from the “Colombia Pictures” “Ghost Rider” film franchise, this book’s writing is so realistically-detailed, so emotive and so engaging that it’s clear the publication’s creator is genuinely taking his audience on a very personal journey, rather than simply conjuring up some contrived circumstance with which to imbue Joe Chamberlain with his super-powers.

Foremost of these enthralling ‘hooks’ is the attention to detail which the Harvey Award-nominee lavishes upon his story-line’s central protagonist. Desperate “to save his small, forgotten town”, yet even more so to ensure that his sister finishes her Nursing qualifications and start’s “some place new”, the stark poverty of the disabled ex-factory worker’s son is absolutely palatable throughout this piece, and no more so than when he discovers his father has jeopardised his sibling’s future by foolishly handing over a portion of their meagre funds to a family friend who subsequently “damn near took off his leg this morning with a chainsaw.”

Similarly as enticing is Jordan’s suave, smooth-talking incarceration of the Devil himself. Polite, as well as infinitely amiable, the well-dressed car driver comes across with all the persuasive charm this series’ audience would anticipate from God’s fallen angel, and it certainly proves no surprise that the angrily frustrated young Chamberlain quickly falls for the archetype of evil’s befuddling discourse regarding the Home Office and making him their agent… Indeed, Officer Figard’s ability to resist the well-groomed man’s temptations earlier in the tale, makes the sheriff’s strength of will even more impressive upon reflection; albeit such a display quickly results in the lawman’s grim demise.

Enjoyably, all of this characterisation and exposition is rather well-pencilled by Philip Tan, whose work, despite arguably lacking the clean look of so many super-hero comic book contemporaries, still does an awfully good job of emphasising its horror-based themes. In addition, the occasional “Magic: The Gathering” illustrator seems to enjoy hiding the odd understated reference within the contents of some of his drawings, such as when Joe accepts a ride from the Devil and is carefully watched doing so by a snake concealed within the undergrowth or a sluggish lizard gazes at the youth’s ever-chugging truck unreliably starting-up. These subtleties really help add extra atmosphere to the proceedings of each panel, and also encourage any perusing bibliophile to pay far more attention to the artwork than normal.

Storytellers: Philip Tan & Justin Jordan, and Colorist: Rain Beredo