I’ve often said that most villains in fiction can be divided into three camps. There’s the tragic figure: you don’t agree with their methods, but you understand where they’re coming from. Magneto, Mr. Freeze, and Castlevania‘s Dracula come to mind. Then there are the villains like the Joker and Carnage, who are pure forces of chaos. Finally, there are the villains who do what they due out of pure spite: Doctor Doom, Lex Luthor, and, of course, the Reverse-Flash. Demona from Gargoyles fits somewhere between the first and the third camp, and Gargoyles: Demona #1 finally digs deep into what makes her tick.
Taking place in 1093, Gargoyles: Demona #1 focuses on Demona as she travels the plains of Scotland, after a clash with Scotland’s king cost her her clan. At the same time, Canmore, the king’s son, is hunting her down, and his actions will wind up playing a pivotal part in her history while also fueling the fires of vengeance that drive her.
The most intriguing part of Gargoyles: Demona #1 is that it finally starts exploring Demona’s long, long history. As Gargoyles co-creator Greg Weisman, who also pens Gargoyles: Demona #1, so eloquently puts it: “Demona has a thousand years’ worth of backstory that our other leads flat-out don’t have.” Not only does this new series offer those glimpses into Demona’s past, but it feels a little grittier than the main Gargoyles due to its setting and the fact that Weisman doesn’t have to deal with TV censors. Case in point: someone’s shown getting straight up stabbed toward the end of the comic.
But the most intriguing part of the issue is how Weisman shows that vengeance can warp and twist a person. Early on in the story, Demona encounters another clan of Gargoyles, yet she calls them fools for sticking together. Her rage at humanity underlines her every word, but her actions also inspire someone else to seek vengeance upon her. Weisman is both setting seeds for future issues while also offering a meditation on the vicious cycle that is revenge.
Weisman is joined on Gargoyles: Demona #1 by Frank Paur, which is a big deal for two major reasons. First, this is Paur’s official debut as a comic book artist, and his artwork is a wonder to behold. The characters feel truly dynamic, whether they’re gliding throughout the air or clashing swords with each other. Most of these images also feel extremely striking, especially a panel that features Demona shrouded in shadows – save for her gloring red eyes. Thanks to Paur and Robby Bevard, this single image has an air of menace to it.
The second reason why Paur illustrating Gargoyles: Demona #1 is such a big deal is because he was a major force in bringing the original Gargoyles cartoon to life, serving as a director for some of the series’ major episodes. (If you’re a fan of Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men: Evolution or The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, you’ve also seen his work in action.) This effectively reunites two of Gargoyles‘s major creative minds, and gives the issue a fair bit of legitimacy.
Gargoyles: Demona #1 digs deeper into the origin of its titular gargoyle, while also reuniting the creative minds behind the original series. The only thing that would make this comic better if it was read by Marina Sirtis.
