Battlemouth

Before Manhattan became a war zone and pre-Vikings killing monkeys, there was the little book that could by the name of DEMO. Written by Brian Wood ( DMZ, Northlanders ) and drawn by Becky Cloonan (American Virgin and East Coast Rising), this is the story of twelve individuals leading ordinary lives extraordinarily. It gives us a peek into what we’ve all imagined, life as a 20 something, but with the ability to control people with your mind or being unable to die.

It is a concept that has fascinated me since childhood, growing up in an inner city where it wasn’t always safe for a strapping lad of 65lbs, in 6th grade. As a child I would imagine being able to fly or reading minds; what Mr. Wood shows us is that no matter what power we may or may not have, sometimes life is shitty, love hurts, and we all at some time will feel alone. Having read his other books, it was interesting to see that in spite of the absence of nukes in Manhattan and warlord heads on pikes, a raw emotional series with the sights and sounds of New York all around could still conjure feelings of being present with these characters often on their painfully bleak journeys.

The artistry of Becky Cloonan pretty much blew my mind, as there was a noticeably different style with each issue. The versatility of this up and comer was obvious from her seemingly manga inspired comic caricatures and her minimalistic lines when drawing soldiers in a barren war torn wasteland. She captures the feelings of youth, love, life, and gritty determination with every stroke of her pen. I look forward to Demo Volume 2 which is slated to release this fall from Vertigo.

It will be a six issue monthly instead of the twelve as before, but seeing some of the covers in the web I wait with great anticipation. So whether you’ve read Brian Wood’s other series or seen Ms. Cloonans amazing covers on American Virgin, you should pick up DEMO from AIT-PLANETLAR, as it will give you a different perspective on the powers we so often take for granted in the comic/graphic novel world.