Review: Penny Dreadful Vol.2 #8
Ethan and Cat are desperate to get answers from Renfield to the chaos Lucifer has caused on the streets of London. Lily is torn between lovers, feeling like a fool. Loving both of them is breaking all the rules. It is time for her to choose.
Chris King opens this issue with our heroes literally up to their necks in water. Chandler takes control and leads our heroes to safety. When he sees Cat in danger he moves into action to save her against a demon from hell. King delivers the suspense in a strong way. He takes Chandler from being heroic to struggling with his mission and brings a conflicted character into the forefront, showing us a three-dimensional character as we’ve never seen him before. It’s great stuff!
Jesus Hervas continues to take a cue from the Gene Colan school of art as we get pencils once again without inks, and it is purely effective in a horror title as strong as it was in Tomb of Dracula as it is in today’s Penny Dreadful. Even though Dracula himself is not in these pages his presence is felt and Hervas pencils convey the eerie atmosphere needed to tell this tale. I love the atmosphere this creative team brings to this issue.
In Conclusion:
Demons, werewolves and vampires all rear their ugly heads and create tension between protagonists and antagonists in that Penny Dreadful way. This issue is great stuff as the stakes are raised and it looks dire for our heroes. Dorian Gray seeks help in the most unlikely places, will he finally find the release he needs? One of the main characters has a surprise at the end of this issue that will unleash…No spoilers, let’s just say her lucky number is 666. To be continued!
*** (8.2 rating)
Penny Dreadful Vol.2 #8
Writer – Chris King
Art – Jesus Hervas
Colors – Jason Wordie
Letters – Rob Steen
Publisher – Titan Comics
Publication date – January 2018