Daemonium:Black Pharaoh and Daemonium: Broken Spirits
Story – Marios Yiangou
Art – Demetres Panayides
‘Daemonium: Black Pharaoh’ and ‘Daemonium: Broken Spirits’ are two independent comics written by Marios Yiangou and illustrated by Demetres Panayides.
‘Black Pharoah’ introduces the reader to the main character known as Marc Skoteinos. He could be compared to DC’s John Constantine comic however it is still different and unique in its own way. Marc is a cursed sorcerer struggling to cope with both family life and his own mental problems. He seeks to strike a balance between salvaging his relationship with his wife and six-year-old daughter all the while striving to combat evil, especially against his arch-nemesis; the demon Astaroth.
This first look into Marc’s life gets you hooked but is quite vague. After reading ‘Broken Spirit’ which is a continuation of the first comic book, it is clear that a certain period of time has passed since the first story had been told and so a further character development can be seen.
I found that Demetres Panayides‘s artwork is heavily influenced by Ben Templesmith, especially the colouring. Still sometimes it had hints that reminded me of the art of Jeff Lemire but also the flow and anatomy of the artwork of Kent Williams.
The artist also uses photography inserted in certain panels that help to enhance the dark story. It is a comic containing a mixture of horror, religion and mythology with some brutal scenes unsuitable for the faint of heart.
Although at first it is a bit difficult to follow the story, the character biographies and the afterword, that give background to the characters, aid in understanding it. In my opinion, this comic was a successful experiment that kept me yearning for more.
