The Damned

If you missed the signing on the 18th for the release of The Damned #1, you're not alone. I was at home, sick in bed. And by the time I made it in, we were down to only 2 copies. Why? Because its good. Well, probably not really, since it had just come out and nobody had read it yet. Maybe it was writer Cullen Bunn's charm and charisma or artist Brian Hurtt's good teeth. But regardless, the comic is good. The 40 page issue introduces us to a depression era "underworld" in which the mobsters are demons. But this isn't a wasted gimmick. The mix works quite naturally to create a convincing world of demonic families fighting over their city.

The lead character, Eddie, is a skinny, reluctant mobster with a curse. He doesn't stay dead. Which makes him an asset to Alphonse "Big Al" Aligheri, the cigar chomping devil in a pinstripe suit he answers to. Big Al's trying to seal a deal to put the lock down on the city once and for all, but his guy handling it's gone missing. So Eddie's called in to track him down. And if he can, he'll be free to die as he pleases. But of course, there's probably more going on than it seems. Like whats up with those maggots?

It's a nice noir setup, and Bunn works the hard-nosed dialogue well. Hurtt's also rocking it. I've heard his style be compared to Eisner, and you can see it here in his expressions and storytelling. The way he establishes settings and even his rainy city atmosphere feels similiar.

By the time this goes up, we should have restocked, so check it out next time you're in.

-Nick