The Darkness #1-3: Raw Edition
Written by Phil Hester
Penciled by Michael Broussard
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Michael Broussard, Joe Weems, Mat Milla
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $3.00; Available now

Why play God when you can be the Devil, himself? For more than a decade the anti-hero, The Darkness, has been a familiar name in the comic book world. Original creators, Garth Ennis, Marc Silvestri, and David Wohl showcased the first appearance in 1996 in another one of their Top Cow productions, Witchblade. The Darkness has been an amazing success due to its very dark undertone and graphically mature art design. This is one series that has made a creatively nefarious read out of a devilish persona.

Jackie Estacado has been bestowed with the Darkness, an unseemingly evil concoction of ascendancy. He befriends an ingenious scientist that teaches Jackie how to channel his unique devilish gift. The two team up to take on a small tropical city in the South American landmass. Faster than you can say, “Columbia Drug Packing Mule,” the duo have the city and large populated areas of the world dealing and pushing a new drug. The drug, called nightfall, is so pristine it’s undetected, isn’t addictive, doesn’t have any bad long-term effects, and it’s still legal. According to one drug-pushing goon in the comic and a line I thought sounded so natural coming from a pusher:

“You got two choices. You can have Jessica Alba working your knob while you lie on a pile of cash sipping rum on you private yacht in the Mediterranean, or you can take the drug.”