The Darkness: Origins, Volume 2

The Darkness Collected #2

by David Wohl, Christina Z., Marc Silvestri (Illustrator)

Collects The Darkness #7-10 as well as Witchblade #18-19.

Go back to the beginning and see 21-year-old mob hitman Jackie Estacado struggle with the power and the burden of The Darkness. Also collected in this edition is the first crossover between The Darkness and Witchblade in the fan favorite 'Family Ties' storyline. Featuring art by Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri and superstar Joe Benitez (Soulfire, Titans).

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2010

About the author

David Wohl is an American comic book writer and editor.
(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Eric Piotrowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

So apparently there's an entire mythology around the Darkness world, and I couldn't be less interested. I loved the first volume, since it introduces us to the character of Jackie Estacado, and lets us see into the pros and cons of his condition.

This book, however, spins quickly into a dull, lifeless web of sixteen different parties, all looking for mere revenge or the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, yadda yadda blah blah blah. I tuned out about halfway through, and suddenly wondered why the dinosaur skeleton was breathing fire. We have minimal character development, and the plot swiftly revolves between boring and convoluted that I can't imagine spending the mental energy to keep up.

Suffice to say I'm done with this series, which is a shame, since -- again -- I quite enjoyed the first one. This may be the first Garth Ennis book I've ever not enjoyed. Sad.

[Cassie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A pretty terrible crossover volume with Witchblade. It featured a bunch of characters I was unfamiliar with, despite having read the previous volume of The Darkness: Origins. It also told a nonlinear story for no reason, that made what was happening even more confusing.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume 2 is better than the first installment, but still pretty bleh. I think the problem is largely that this series doesn't know what it wants to be. The first volume definitely had its lighter moments, but overall took itself seriously. This volume was more fun (for the most part, the crossover with Witchblade at the end was dull.) There was a lot of great action and less talking (again, until the boring Witchblade crossover.) Personally, if this series had decided to go all out dumb and fun, I would respect that. If it embraced its clichés, threw in more silly Bond girl types, made even worse jokes, and mainly focused on action, I'd love this sucker to death just for being stupid and fun and cheap entertainment. The problem is that despite the fact that it already relies too heavily on these things to be taken seriously, occasionally we have moments that, if they aren't good, are at least trying, and they ruin the "stupid is fun" effect. You can't be dumb most of the time and then expect to be taken seriously when you actually bother to try being smart.

Like I said, I did love the action, and the artwork really grew on me. It's great. My one complaint--and I don't usually say this about books--is that I'd rather this one just gave up its half-hearted effort to be good and just went totally bad. It's so close, it's just not quite there yet!!

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it pretty much incomprehensible, but the artwork was nice

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The humor level jumps as we spend one whole issue of Jackie trying to get laid by making a fake woman, and it's actually pretty funny with his little demon darkling creatures helping. Then we get mixed up with Witchblade here in the first crossover, and it's pretty goddamn messy and way to boring at points. There's highlights, some messed up deaths, and a cool villain, but overall the crossover didn't do much for me. Excited to jump into the next arc though.

[Codee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d keep reading these but Silvestri only draws one type of woman in the world and that’s young, buxom, and beautiful. I expected plenty of that but there are seriously not even any older or thicker women even shown in the background of any panel. It irks me enough that I’ll be giving this series up.

[Albert Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, it this in some of the Witchblade story where Sarah gives up the power after battling Ian Nottingham

[Lucas Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, the 90's are here.

Fun to read, but i guess, unlike Spawn, this did,'t aged so well. Probably will end this Origins volume and try to see something new of the character.

[John Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just find anything Witchblade related poorly explained and written, and this is mainly a crossover.

[Samantha Leighanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jackie Estacado is your average 20 year old. You know, women and fast cars. Oh, and he's also an assassin for a crime family. You know, totally normal. On the eve of his 21st birthday, Jackie discovers that he has a gift that allows him to control demons from another deminsions, The Darkness. And of course, there are people that don't want Jackie to wield this gift and set out to destroy him.

These two volumes take you through the beginning of Jackie's time with this 'gift' and explains how he comes by it. The first volume is the one that really goes through who Jackie is, how he came to be who he is, how he came to be an assassin and it introduces you to the gift and the people that actually want the gift. Some of the people that appear in this volume are the same people that appear in the second video game. The artwork in this volume was fantastic, that was something that I really enjoyed.

In the second volume, the artwork was just as good, but this was about the best thing about the volume. It started out where the other volume left off, but you get three issues into this volume and then suddenly you go from I think issue #9 to issue #17. So there have been all these things that have happened between that time and you have new characters and something called a Witchblade and you're like "What the hell is going on here?" Maybe if you're a seasoned comic book reader, you would have an idea of what that way, but I had no idea and it made me like that volume a lot less.

Overall though, I really liked the artwork, I enjoyed the story when I could follow it, and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys comic books of that nature.

[Nukunu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid although somewhat confusing - for the uninitiated - compilation of an excellent comic series. In this edition, readers are treated to more of Jackie's history with his adopted family and even darker antics as he continues to develop his powers with the nefarious Darkness, a being of pure chaos and near-limitless power.

Jackie's still young, hot-blooded, sex-starved, and as flawed as we remember him in this series, and faces new conflicts after a screw-up on his part lands his family in a chaotic feud with the Yakuza. Mix in a plot by the ever-persistent Sonatine to steal Jackie's powers from him in addition to an excellent crossover that introduces a new hero - the Witchblade - to the story and you have the makings of another great and suspenseful series. Oh, and there's blood, gore, and lot's of the gratuitous violence and sadism we can't get enough of, in addition to those lovable Darkling sidekicks of Jackie's.

The only flaw I find with this compilation is that it leaves out a significant chunk of issues right when the Ian Nottingham arc just begins to cook and skips immediately to the climax of the arc, which will probably jar and disappoint most readers. I'm inclined to agree. Those who are completionists can purchase the first volume of the Darkness Compendium, which collects the first forty issues. Otherwise, it's still a solid entry that captures the essence of the series' beginnings and provides an excellent snapshot of the Darkness universe.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

We see a return of the jolly Butcher Joyce from the first story arc. A torturer named Vespasian is a new and arguably wierd character, but no less funny. Franchetti's daughter, Appolonia, comes home after her studies in Europe. Jackie and Appolonia have been hating each other since they were kids and now she wants him out of the picture using the power of the Angelus. She allies with Sonatine to perform the ritual of aquiring the Angelus spirit, but it chooses her mother as a host instead. And in her panels we have a perfect example of extremely hot and marvelously detailed artwork.

[aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

this volume contains even more violence and action than the first. collecting the next 6-7 issues of the darkness (and a couple of witchblade issues) this volume continues the episodic revelations of the darkness and his origins. jackie is growing more powerful with the darkness in his control, but what happens what sonastine finds a way to control the darkness...and the witchblade as well? find out!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fight scenes are spectacular in the closing issue, and I always liked the Franchetti Angelus the most out of all her incarnations. There is some good backstory established here, both for Jackie and especially for his adoptive family. However, the ending feels rushed and abrupt, patricularly the final couple of pages.

[Bryan Gardner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection is confusing if you have not read any Witchblade comics.

[Scott Weatherby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have volume 3

[Anastasiaadamov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter Witchblade! A little confusing since some of the plot is missing between volume 1 and volume 2. And said plot is somwehere in some other editions and crossowers with Witchblade series.

[Pam Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was confusing as it felt like story was missed out, and some of it wasn't in sequence!

[Timo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wee moments here and there that made reading this one rewarding.
Art still posey but sexy.