re:mote voices

the devil's footprints - this book is a collection of a series that appeared from dark horse publishing, along with a couple of shorts. brandon and waide are the sons of a notorious dabbler in magic, though they think that is all in the past with their father's death. brandon has dabbled, in terms that he has experience of some white magic and some reading. so he grows suspicious when his girlfriend and his brother's wife both fall ill, and he starts to get nose bleeds. which is all they need, when their father's legacy still leads to whispering behind their backs as well as regular beatings from the town's tough guys. being close to the infamous salem it probably wouldn't take much for a lynch mob to set upon them, and with the discovery that a frustrated demon still seeks reparation from their family it looks entirely likely. a story of black magic and growing small town tensions. artistically mixed, but capturing at various points the feel of the demonic potentials and threats.

assembly #1 - the first in a new series from antartic press, what seems to be a company respsonsible for a range of american manga. the main character is keen to follow her families footsteps and join the army in an ongoing war. but her sister insists that she carries on her education. things are tight though and food is scarce. meanwhile battles between mechanical forces are daily events. there is a certain potential to this piece, mystery being generated by the kinetic backdrop of daily violence.

hellblazer - the second part of a five part story line that has been building over recent issues, john constantine has gathered a group of mystics in the hope that they can stop the spread of a great beast from another dimension. casuals murders are spreading as the beasts poison contaminates individuals. but if it isn't stopped it will become part of the under mind, working it's way into the group mind of the human race and reeking havoc in the process. the art by frusin is particularly scrappy in this issue, looking rushed at points, not his best work by a good deal. but still quite a readable thread.