Shadowpact #14 - DC

I've liked this book since the beginning. I'm a huge fan of Bill Willingham's stories. And I think he does a great job with these characters. But, to tell you the truth, I really didn't think that the title would be going this strong. Tom Derenick has taken over on pencils, at least for the last few issues, and is really breathing some fresh life in to it. Not to say that the previous are wasn't up to mustard, but Tom's stuff lends itself to much more action. His frame flow, angles and facial expressions, all tend to promote the urgency and pace of a much more action packed book. And lately I've been commenting on the coloring in some of the books. This is another one that visually, you can really notice the vibrancy of the pages. I'm not sure what they're doing differently, but I think it's paying off. This issue Zauriel has been charged with killing Blue Devil. The heavenly hosts are upset that his fame and stature may be upsetting the balance between heaven and hell. And to tell you the truth, Danny never really thought about it until Zauriel presents him with it. So the first thing he does is hold a press conference renouncing is fame and stature. He publicly admits to his mistakes and crimes, and that he made a deal with the Devil . . . . for the wrong reasons. As he's doing this, a lawyer overhears and, afterwards, approaches him, telling him that he wants his case because he thinks he can win it. Then Danny goes to the Oblivion bar to tell the team that he's resigning. Jim Rook won't accept it though. He'll accept that he's going to take a temporary leave. But he'll never be off the team. He always has a home here. And he also insists that Zauriel takes his place, to fill the void, in the interim. We also get a little glimpse of Dr. Gotham this issue. He's talking to the Sun Lord whom he has brought over from a different dimension. He's only the size of a candle flame right now, but that'll probably change soon. Like I said, this is a great cast of characters. There's so much diversity here. And Bill has done a great job of giving them their own unique personalities. I would definitely recommend it.