Needs more vengeance.
Spirits of Vengeance was one of the more promising reveals in the original Marvel Legacy announcement, in part because it's among the few genuinely new titles Marvel is adding to its lineup this fall. But there's also the fact that this company has a rich history when it comes to horror and supernatural-based comics, and they've done far too little in recent years to tap into that corner of the Marvel U. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Spirits of Vengeance will be the book to reverse that trend. The slow start combined with the miniseries format pretty much guarantees that.
Spirits of Vengeance #1 falls into the all-too-common common trap plaguing so many first issues. It's a slow-paced affair that's more concerned with slowly bringing the team together than simply diving into the heart of the conflict. By the end of this first issue, the team is still in the process of assembling for the first time, and one of the main four characters has yet to put in an appearance. Considering that this series clocks in at a meager five issues, it's hard not to be frustrated with the sluggish pacing.
The slow pace would be forgivable if the series' conflict were more engaging. Unfortunately, this issue does little than make references to ancient wars between angel and demons and establish a vague backdrop against which Daimon Hellstrom and Johnny Blaze operate. The characterization of these two leads is strong, at least, but their dynamic only carries the book so far. There's simply not enough in this first issue to get the reader invested in the team or their mission.
David Baldeon's art is the main selling point at the moment. Baldeon's cartoonish, expressive style doesn't seem to lend itself well to horror, but that's exactly why the book succeeds. There's a fun juxtaposition between his almost lighthearted character designs and the dark subject matter of the book. Baldeon tends to render demons not as massive monstrosities, but as sinister manipulators wearing human shells. They're equally comical and grotesquely exaggerated. If anything, the interplay between light and dark in the art needs to be better represented in the writing. This series would stand out more if it took a less straightforward and more subversive approach to Marvel's supernatural characters. Anything to help it stand out more than it does here.
The Verdict
The idea of a supernatural team-up book featuring four of Marvel's horror icons sounds great on paper. Unfortunately, this series seems in little hurry to bring that team together, despite the fact that there are only five issues to work with. Spirits of vengeance definitely looks great, giving an expressive sheen to this darker corner of the Marvel U. But that alone doesn't do enough to justify the book's existence.
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