Spirit World #4 – Alyssa Wong, Writer; Haining, Artist; Sebastian Cheng, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Visually, this has been one of the most creative and thrilling DC comics in a long time. We kicked things off with Cassandra Cain trapped in the spirit world, and Constantine and Xanthe joining forces to rescue her. But after three issues, everyone is in the same place—and things haven’t gotten any less tense as a result. The Spirit World is corrupted, with horrific demons possessing and transforming people. The issue kicks off with a pitched battle against an army of misshapen spirits, to rescue the family Xanthe has been after. The girl is gotten back, but the parents seem to be lost—and the spirits leave their mark on the heroes as well, with one of them being visibly corrupted. In the middle of this, the fox spirit who has been a key wild card over the course of the series debuts his true form, and it’s one of the most impressive moments of the series. Haining’s art continues to seesaw wildly between gorgeous and disturbing from page to page.
One of the most impressive things about this series is the way the plot twists dramatically with each issue, revealing another layer of the Spirit World. With a ticking clock before one of their members is lost, the heroes consider embarking on a quest to contact the mysterious ruling powers of the realm—something that the old woman advising them reacts to very negatively. For as terrifying as the monsters are, can it be that we haven’t even glimpsed the true villains of this world yet? It’s clear from the last pages of the issue that we don’t quite understand the rules of this world yet, and some characters may be much more vulnerable than even they know to the realm’s influence. While this has been a great spotlight for both Cassandra Cain and Constantine, Xanthe is the only “native” of this world, and it looks like the final two issues will be grounded in their perspective. Let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of the character.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
