By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Pencils), Eduardo Medeiros (Colors), and Sean Dove (Design)
I’m quite a few weeks late on this one on account of the difficulty I had locating a copy, but it definitely deserves a mention. This zero issue introduces the world to Mercy Sparx, a sexy punk-rock she-demon living in Sheol, a city located somewhere between purgatory, heaven, and hell. She’s living a dead end life, has a bad attitude, and is not entirely sure she even cares anymore at this point. Some, not all, of that changes when a burly demon in a pin-stripe suit interrupts her at a bar to deliver a message from heaven.
While Mercy Sparx as a character feels fairly familiar, the book feels surprisingly fresh thanks to some clever writing and extremely attractive artwork. Josh Blaylock hits just the right tone for a story about a character like Mercy and some lines give me a feeling that the series will end up aiming higher than one might initially expect given the premise. As for the art, the absolutely fantastic character designs are made even better by some vibrant color work. The look calls to mind some classic pin-up and tattoo designs, definitely a good thing that makes this one stand out from the pack.
At only 99 cents, you really can’t go wrong in checking out the premiere of Mercy Sparx. I enjoyed the hell out of it and I’m fairly certain you will to. The October debut can’t come soon enough. (Grade: B+)
-Kyle Posluszny