Review - The Darkness: Four Horsemen #1

Some things just never seem to die no matter how many times you manage to kill them. Kinda like The Darkness just keeps coming and coming for more as Jackie Estacado is back as he's going to go head-to-head with a kind of evil the likes he’s never seen before.

Top Cow presents The Darkness: Four Horsemen #1 with writer David Hine and artist Jeff Wamster that have them pitting the powers of the Darkness up against the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, except they're riding badass motorcycles. Nice touch with the motorcylces too as it brings them to modern times and allows others to view them as just a biker gang with Jackie knowing the real truth. As of this first issue I'm already hooked on the story as it draws you in, even if haven't read another Darkness comic before. Let’s have a review then.

As Jackie finds himself at the head of the family, he is summoned to see the oldest living member. Knowing it’s probably a trap he arranges the meeting after dark, giving him his Darkness abilities to deal with anything. Jackie learns that it was all a test by Lucio to see if can handle what he has to ask of him. He's told the story of the Demon Riders and gets word that they are back to bring about more destruction and death. The deal of it all is if Jackie goes and takes care of this problem for Lucio all is forgiven with what he has done and be able to continue leading with loyalty of everyone.

This leads Jackie to head to a small town called Ginsberg in California with the road blocked by police not letting anyone in. He finds out what’s been going on in Ginsberg and all the trouble that the four bikers have been causing. Each biker represents one of the four horsemen: Death, Pestilence, War and Famine, who in turn cause their respective names on the people they touch and interact with. I thought it was really cool that how they work as you seem them calmly just working while the people around them lose it.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next issue as the Darkness is such an awesome character with a great first issue in this series. I have always loved the artwork by Wamester, especially when the little demons come out. They have this mischevous look to them and before you know it they are tearing you apart with that same grin on their face. I also enjoyed that with the darker tone and shading, but Hine's writing strikes a good balance.