Undoubtedly, Etrigan/Jason Blood is one of DC Comics' more bizarre creations, and now he has his own on going book written by Paul Cornell, penciled by Diogenes, inked by Oclair Albert, and colored by Marcelo Maiolo.
The Good
The new 52 is all about having new readers jump on with ease. Prior to the new 52, I knew little to nothing about Jason Blood/Etrigan other than the "Hulkish" relationship they have. (Meaning it's two personalities in one body, not that Etrigan comes out when Jason gets mad) As a new reader of this character and this world, I felt it was very easy pick up, for a new reader. I adjusted very well to the locale and the characters. Paul Cornell did a great job at reintroducing all these characters to me without making it feel like I was being hammered in the head with back-story.
This is something I've never done before, but I have to give credit to Oclair Albert on this issue, the letterer. There's a distinct division between the world of magic and the mortal world, and it can all be seen in the font style in the letter. Also, when it comes to the lettering, I really liked how the word balloons were drawn up. For a couple scenes, certain magical characters have rougher word balloon outlines. I really liked that effect, and it says a bit more about the characters and how they are in this world.
Art of the week! I've read most of, but flipped through all of this week's New 52, and I have to say that the art team did an amazing job on this book (Barely beating out J.H. Williams III on Batwoman). The art is insanely detailed and clear, and the characters really pop off the pages. It's the type of art that makes me feel all giddy.
The Bad
I wanted to see a good fight scene really bad, and this whole issue builds up to a fight, but as the fight begins, the issue ends. It was a bummer, but it didn't affect the score.
The Verdict
Super-awesome! I was extremely skeptical about this issue and series. I thought I would hate it. Luckily, I went in with an open mind, and it ended up being my favorite book of the new 52 this week. It's a great jumping on point for new readers. You're introduced to the characters and get a quick back-story. The letter actually adds a lot to the book, aside from the usual dialogue, and the art is dynamite. The only bummer was that I wanted a bit of action, and we really didn't get any. This is a book you'll want to add to your pull list, and this is coming from someone who has never really liked or understood Etrigan/Jason Blood before. I highly recommend this book.