Hexed #4 – A Review

Hexed #4 (of 4)

Publisher Boom Studios

Creator/Writer Michael Alan Nelson

Art Emma Rios

Colors Cris Peter

Release Date April 8, 2009

All I can say after reading this mini-series is there better be at least another mini-series coming out on this book or launch an unlimited series as Lucifer is one of the most compelling new characters to hit the comic book scene in decades. She is a thief and a magician, a girl who has been “Hexed” and destined to become the heir of the Harlot, a monstrous creature that is a keeper of all many dark and deadly secrets. More then anything else, she is a new gem of a character, new, fresh and exciting and has more potential then any other 5 characters from the big two.

This series is such a well done comic and it hits it on every level.

The story is fantastic. Although her getting hexed was in the Fall of Cthulhu series it was not needed as this four part story filled in all the blanks. Due to a cosmic screw up my store never got issues #2 and #3 and when I saw #4 was coming out this Wednesday April 8 I was shocked that the series was already over. I have the fortune to be able to read the PDF files and so I went back and read the entire mini-series in one setting.

Lucifer is a young girl of apparently early teen-age years. She is attractive, smart, and cynical and has one heck of a tragic past. All we know as the story starts is the she is working for a woman named Val and appropriating magical artifices for her. Immediately her past comes back to haunt her and she is forced to gather an object of incredible power for a man named Dietrich who intends to use this device to take over the magical underground. Instead of giving a detailed plot summary, let me just say that Lucifer uses her smarts, her skills as a thief and con artist and her magic to survive the night with a bit of luck and some help from friends. The plot moves along and drags you in and you are always rooting for Lucifer and hoping she can get herself out of the box she seems to always puts herself in (there is a pun there if you read the Fall of Cthulhu series). This is Michael’s strongest work yet and you can almost feel how much he loves this character in the writing of the book. In fact it comes across so well I already feel like she is writing her own story at this point.

The art is also just fantastic. The thin line work gives such a fluid feel to the work, that between the magical element and the fluid nature of her art, I can’t help but feel like I’m seeing a modern version of Ditko on Dr. Strange (which is extremely high praise from me). Emma’s has to portray so many fantastic scenes throughout the story and then switch back to the real world and manages each with equal skill. She has lots of camera angles and has wonderful use of expressions. Emma Rios is a true talent to watch out for and I can only hope that this series generates enough sales to warrant at least another mini-series and that Ms. Rios remains on this book for a while.

Overall Grade A – Hexed is another winner from Boom. Catwoman and Dr. Strange with a con artists soul all wrapped in the package of an attractive young girl with a talent for getting into and out of major trouble. If you missed the mini-series get the trade. What else can I say but I was charmed and bewitched by Lucifer.