You know, if Paul Cornell’s idea of high comedy is revealing Madame Xanadu has a thing for demons from hell… I’m not sure I want to see his low comedy.

If the first issue—and the large cast Cornell introduces—is any indication, Demon Knights is going to be a medieval team book with DC’s heroes of that era. Cornell goes crazy, having a girl pretend to be a boy so she can be a knight.

That detail is revolutionary… it’s not like it’s been a standard since the 1600s.

The first five pages are set in Camelot and I remembered Camelot 3000 and got all hopeful. Immediately out of Camelot, it veers towards the worse.

Cornell really likes cheap shocks. Besides Xanadu’s deceiving Jason Blood to keep the Demon around for sex and violence, Cornell tortures and kills a baby.

It’s contrived, boring, and painfully trying to be sensational.

CREDITS

Seven Against the Dark; writer, Paul Cornell; penciller, Diógenes Neves; inker, Oclair Albert; colorist, Marcelo Maiolo; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Chris Conroy and Matt Idelson; publisher, DC Comics.