Demon Knights #17

I don't have anything to say this morning but I really want to read this comic book.

I've never painted in my life but I realized last night that I have a painting project in me that I really want to do. Perhaps I'll save it until my golden years though. I want to paint images and situations I experienced while on acid or mushrooms. I was thinking about one time at a flea market in San Jose tripping with my buddy Bobby. As we approached a rack of sunglasses with a small girl crouched at the base digging through a box of toys, the girl turned around and she was wearing a pair of those glasses with the eyes already on them. I was suddenly able to see the stylized painting I would do of that moment and it made me think of all the other drug-addled moments that would make lovely paintings. Lovely to me anyway. The kid offering me fizz. The brawl in the Grizzly roller coaster line between the transvestites and the asshole jocks. The kid that looked like Data as he did the "Live Long and Prosper" greeting when we asked to take his picture. Gumby in line for The Demon. Jupiter following me. The thousand years I spent in the strip joint parking lot. Sitting cross-legged on Jason Beymer's floor while his younger sister's friends drank and partied around me. Watching Jesus Christ Superstar in fast forward while listening to Rush. Rock and Roll bowling and seeing everybody staring at me constantly.

I think I should learn to paint. I could see myself really enjoying my golden years painting these moments.

Didn't I just type that I had nothing to talk about? Let's get back to that! I want to read Demon Knights already!

Since we saw Jason Blood was busy being tortured by Vandal Savage and unable to call forth the Demon since Jason had seemingly misplaced his mouth, let's check in on what Etrigan is up to!

Boredom seems fitting. He is in Hell, after all.

Lucifer stops by to taunt him a bit and then Etrigan impotently threatens Jason Blood. Meanwhile Jason Blood continues to endure torture and humiliation at the hands of Savage. In Al-Wadi, Exoristos, Sir Ystin, and the Horsewoman set off to rescue Jason Blood. Al-Jabr believes they'll need him to help stop Cain from taking Paradise Island. Well, not Jason Blood. You know who they really need.

Once they get there, Exoristos simply walks in the front gate to distract Vandal Savage while the others do whatever the others are going to do. Probably rescue Jason Blood! I hope they find his mouth while they're at it.

I'm going to miss Vandal Savage if they can't manage to finagle a way to bring him along.

Meanwhile, Sir Ystin easily frees Jason Blood. But getting in has probably alerted other guards and getting out is going to be much harder. Especially since the plan was to use Etrigan's muscle to secure their egress. Luckily Sir Ystin has a Plan B. B as in Bellerophon.

I'm surprised Savage didn't have someone paint a sad face on Jason Blood.

As they escape the castle, Horsewoman gives a thought command to Savage's men's horses to not follow. Once Vandal and his brigands mount up, the horses drop to their knees. Of course Savage knows what's up having ridden with the Horsewoman in the past. So it seems like Savage won't be along for this adventure. Unless his ire forces him to follow. But I have a feeling the others are going to need to seek out Madame Xanadu to fix Jason Blood's face.

Of course Jason didn't warn them whom they were going to see. He could have written it down!

Meanwhile on their steady march to Paradise Island (I'd rather call it that because Themyscira is too hard to spell), Cain and his Vampire Amazon cohort descend on the Bison Riders so that they can add a Vampire Cavalry to their army.

Demon Knights #17 Rating: No change. Even with the change in writers, this book is still one of the better written New 52 comics. And Bernard Chang hasn't missed a beat as the replacement for Diogenes Neves. It's simply a beautiful book to look at and a fun story to read.