Now this tale was so hauntingly strange that it was almost gross. As John continues to make his way through the candy land that is the pathways of Hell, Nergal continues recounting his sordid past to John.

Through this device we get to witness Nergal’s meager second-beginning as what appears to be a nasty little anemone residing on the once-throat of mortal Nergal. Now this anemone grows into an ambitious sort of skeletonized version of one of them winged monkeys from the Wizard of Oz, only taller. Then monkeywing goes home to meet his now older, and much more beautiful and much more naked daughter*. Will she believe his tale of rebirth? Absonotly.

Now, I can imagine a daughter feeling threatened by her would be usurper uncle. I can see her disbelief at the return of her father. I can even empathize with her to the extent that she has reigned over this land for so long, fought so hard (or made others do so, probably by way of showing some thigh) to keep it, and defied so many others who would wrest it from her, so she feels more attached to her claim than anything else on eart…or, Hell. Now that dear old dad has returned in nasty-stinko form, why wouldn’t she feel threatened? Plus, seeing as how he hardly resembles his former self, it would be simple to dismiss him as a fake. However, you know what she does? Well, I won’t tell you directly, but let’s just say that our dear Nergal finds himself a sort of anemone again.

That, my two friends, is just the beginning. With a surprise at the end which causes more complications than I can figure out, and a few more downers along the way, Mike Carey seems to be sending John on a mission from which he is not likely to return.

Real quick: the story (Carey) is of course great. The art, by Leonard Manco, is excellent and so perfect for the genre and the writing of Mike Carey. READ IT!

 

*see issue #209.

 

-Peblee