Spirit World #3 – Alyssa Wong, Writer; Haining, Artist; Sebastian Cheng, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Alyssa Wong’s reinvention of the ideas of Jack Kirby continues to be one of the most intriguing stories at DC at the moment, mostly thanks to its strong three-pronged lead characters of Cassandra Cain, John Constantine, and Xanthe. Xanthe is the insider, well-versed in the spirit world. Constantine is the trickster, able to think outside the box and adapt to the rules of the realm. And Cass is the genuine white-hat hero, unable to leave anyone behind. That complicates things when Constantine and Xanthe finally make it to the realm, fight a bunch of demons (with Xanthe winding up short on weapons in the process) and find Cass, ready to take her back—only for Cass to refuse to go just yet. She’s got people to help, a deal to pay for, and a debt to the fox-demon Shen to complete. Shen is an intriguing wild card, equally charismatic and terrifying—and he plays a key role in unlocking Cass’ past.
One of the most fascinating parts of this issue has been the way Cass’ past plays into it, namely the fact that she’s been to the Spirit World before. When she offers a trade to Shen, she finally unlocks those memories—including the time Lady Shiva killed her and then brought her back to life in short order. But what seemed like seconds in the human world was far more in the spirit world, and Cass made contact with something sinister below—something that remembers her, and is looking for a second taste. This is a great concept, one that sets up the second part of this series nicely with a new villain and an escalating threat. Alyssa Wong’s script is excellent as always, but Haining’s art is what really brings this comic to life. It’s amazing how the Spirit World can be this beautiful, and the demons this horrifying and surreal, all within the same pages.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
