At the center of three converging armies, the Demon Knights protect Merlin’s fragile body. Sounds like the makings of a thrilling episode, packed with wall-to-wall action, right? Meh, not so much.
Yes, there are some cataclysmic changes going on in Demon Knights #15, but the effect is blunted by two things. First, a heavy veil of dialog is draped over the entire story, making its presence felt most during the action sequences. The characters’ lines offer insight into their personalities; however, they also seem somewhat detached from the chaotic battle supposedly going on around them. The battle itself – or the rendering of the battle, as it were – is the story’s second deficiency. Once upon a time, Demon Knights (under the exhilarating pencils of Diogenes Neves) would have knocked this issue’s battle scenes out of the park. As it is, the battle feels rather subdued. The wild action is rarely more than background here, as Bernard Chang fumbles the best opportunity to drive the title into its next arc with a blockbuster set piece.
There is, as always, no shortage of machinations to be found in this story. Everyone is seeing to his or her own interests, which is the way I like this series to be. The problem is that the changes that result from all of this scheming is frustrating, as it feels contrived and destroys much of the dynamic that drove the series to such great heights.
Without a doubt, there are things to like about this book. But the difference between my expectations before reading and the reality of the experience was pretty large. I’m in no way off the Demon Knights bandwagon, but, if signs of editorial meddling like the awkward Stormwatch reference in this issue are an indication of future directions, I may find my faith rattled.
Poet Mase is a regular contributor to IGN who is still confounded by the politics of the comic book industry. Follow Poet on Twitter @PoetMase, or post a message on his IGN profile PoetMase.
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