Hexed #4 (of 4) (Boom! – Nelson / Rios)
“The Devil I Know, Part IV.” Lucifer is embroiled in a mystical battle for her life in the searing climax of this story! The already critically acclaimed series by scribe Michael Alan Nelson (FALL OF CTHULHU), and hot new art talent Emma Rios!
So, this concludes the tale that introduces us to the hottest and baddest supernatural heroine this side of Buffy, “Luci”.
Overall this series has had a great pace and keeps the reader interested while continuing to introduce new concepts and players to the “Hex-verse”. This is a hardcore occult adventure that is much akin to the darkest episodes of Angel or Supernatural.
Lucifer, to survive and keep her friend alive, as to outsmart and outplay Dietrich (a cross between Lex Luthor and Baron Mordo, yet strangely looking like Dr. Druid) and his henchmen baddies. Hexed sets a pace that makes the reader want to keep up, and overall it’s very well done.
For the some of the folks out there, Hexed might have a few factors that will keep them away. The first is that the protagonists and antagonists are so blurred as far good and evil goes that it would really be hard to categorize them as heroes or villains, I know there are fans out there that find is hard to cheer on hellspawn as the hero. The second factor that might make readers put the book down is the one thing that kept me glued to the pages – the art of Emma Rios.
Ms. Rios has a style that is both fanciful and macabre at the same time. Her pencils and colors certainly have an anime feel to them, but they are also unique enough that you don’t write it off simply as someone else trying to emulate that style. She draws everything with soft borders that give everything defined boundaries, but almost pushes a sense of flow. Her critics have picked apart this book for being too “soft and pastel” even in a in-your-face magic battle and all of her characters seem to have a purposeful androgyny about them (once again characteristic of an anime style). Not my take, but I don’t believe it’s wholly unwarranted.
I thought this was a great series and I cannot wait for Boom! to give us a second shot!
Series grade: B+
Issue Grade: B+
