Demon, Volume 2

Lo que parece una historia simple de un hombre deprimido escala dramáticamente hasta convertirse en una aventura con elementos sobrenaturales y espionaje. Si te gusta el primer volumen y tienes el estómago para soportar las escenas fuertes, este cómic es para ti.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott“Well that clears up the first volume,” is NOT what you want to be saying come Volume 2. In this highly idiosyncratic, hyper-violent, conspiracy laden graphic novel (much like its predecessor) sequel, we find ourselves saying just that and then from out of nowhere, some of the nitty-gritties start to show, and this time the stakes are higher. As with the previous graphic novel, this is NOT for children – it caters to discerning teens/adults who know what they’re getting themselves into, perhaps If they read Vol. 1. Regardless, despite the over-the-top violence and almost casual intent on racking up a body count, there is the making of a brilliant story, depending on how Volumes 3 and 4 turn out. This time around, there are definite secrets revealed and tangible nuggets of information that the first volume had trouble in pacing out.The writing in The Demon: Volume 2 is more sharp-witted, and varied, now that actual human players have entered firmly entrenched on the chessboard. There is no room for expository here, all the energy and emotion and angst from Vol. 1, spills out in open dialogue. Even when the characters are ‘thinking,’ they are doing it out loud – a very surreal effect, I overlooked in the first volume. Some of the dialogue is downright hilarious given the rather gruesome nature of the novel. Humor plays an important role in this volume and helps add levity in the face of sheer atrocity (dark humor at its finest), and there is the occasional profane slur to keep it ‘real.’ The dialogue couldn’t rest on its own without the art, however.The art is just as minimalist in The Demon: Volume 2 as it was in Vol. 1, and just as quirky as the series itself. It is, once again, Shiga’s strong propelling panelation and sequence of events that catapults this story forwards. Humor carries over from the writing into the art, and gives that quirkiness an almost comforting feel. Ben Yee still looks like himself, as the case permits, and it is very possible to ‘read’ the story from the images alone. Even the (quite) bizarre and grotesque scenes are done simply because they add fun to the story. This is not to say the art is non grotesque in places, but that it does it in the ‘dead chicken with X’s for eyes’ style, and one execution isn’t much different from another. The body count, for the most part, is kept relatively in the background and the seemingly simplistic art drives a much harder punch than the story itself – it IS the story itself.This type of synergy between art and word is a rare occurrence these days and it’s people like Jason Shiga in The Demon series that remind us of the power of the graphic novel in conveying a story. The art and words complement each other so well and produces a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s this synergy that makes you laugh out loud when you should be utterly revulsed. It was apparently “penciled with a Bic Ballpoint {pen]” and the levity of the writer/artist lends further credence to his work. Incidentally, for those who haven’t read Vol. 1, the anti-hero Ben Yee is a staple of another Shiga production.All things being equal, I felt that this was a satisfying read. The Demon: Volume 2 brings high octane adventure, conspiracy theory, graphic violence and more to the table (no sex though). The apprehensions I had with the first volume have been overcome and surpassed my expectations. This graphic novel rocks, and I’d highly recommend it to buffs of thrillers, conspiracy theorists, independent comics fans and anyone looking for a fast, exciting ride with mayhem. Oh and while you’re treating yourself to The Demon: Volume 2, pick up Volume 1 just… well… because.

I love everything about this series from the concept to the art to the characters to the story. Can't wait to download #3!

Dark humour at its finest. What a funny, macabre ride this series is. Jimmy continues to experiment killing himself to see what (and if) the limitations are. The government is after him and this whole volume includes that chase up to the end. Jimmy finds out why he is a Demon and finds another family member who is one also. Very interested to see where the plot goes in the next volume as this one takes us 90 years into the future!

In the second volume of Jason Shigu's "Demon", we find Jimmy Yee pondering his options. As he found out in the previous book, he's a demon who possesses the body of the closest physical person to him every time he takes his own life. Across the course of that story he experimented with the limits of his power and is now close to mastering the logistics of his macabre gift.Unfortunately (at least from his point-of-view), you can't leave behind a trail of bodies without attracting attention. Agent Hunter leads a special military taskforce that knows what he can do and how to counteract it. His mission is to recruit Jimmy to the American government by any means necessary.But in a surprise twist, the nihilistic actuary finds another reason to live, and any offer Hunter can make him becomes secondary to securing his freedom. So it becomes a battle of wits between them: Hunter's resources and expertise versus Jimmy's ruthlessness and intellect.Jimmy is certainly an anti-hero in the truest sense of the word, but we learn more here about his history and family life. Despite the chaos he wrecks, you can't help but root for him as he tries to evade his pursuers in increasingly inventive ways, and Shigu's distinctive artwork manages to be both grisly and cute.It's a quick, clever, mildly disturbing little read, and not one that's easily forgotten.

We were in the library, and my six-year-old daughter pointed at a graphic novel. “That’s by the same person who wrote _Meanwhile_!”“Jason Shiga? Okay.” I picked up the book. “Uh, the guy is covered in blood, and it’s called _Demon_. I don’t think–”“I want it!”“Okay.”She read it in the car on the way home. “How is it?” I asked.“Good.”My 11 y.o. picked it up at home. “How is it?” I asked.“Good.”I finally read it at the end of the week, and I had to laugh because I could not have picked out a more inappropriate book for little kids. The most extreme violence anyone could imagine, a bit of sex, demons, a secret intelligence service, and some math I couldn’t follow (“Inverse cube theory!” one of them yells in a death battle while falling out of a skyscraper in Demon 3--or it could have been another battle. There were so many).Pick this up if you want something completely different, and you find violence funny instead of disturbing. My whole family has now read Demon 1-3.

Some authors drop off in later books and run out of ideas. Shiga keeps adding twists and clever implications that he clearly planned all along but which took me by surprise. Dark humor, genuinely clever solutions, and fresh idea make this a book to read in one sitting.

this guy is a genius