The loose ties between Demon Knights and Stormwatch have grown much more apparent with this current arc as Etrigan the Demon has awoken and made Stormwatch the target of his wrath. I don't know if it speaks poorly of the series as a whole to say that Etrigan's characterization is currently my favorite element. Peter Milligan writes him as supremely arrogant but also somewhat justified in feeling bitter about being imprisoned for centuries and betrayed by his old team. The fact that Etrigan's tendency to rhyme is exploited for comedy and not overplayed is also a welcome change of pace.

Milligan's characterization for the various Stormwatch members is more spotty, sadly. There's a surprising amount of Claremont-ian exposition at work in this issue as characters ramble on about their powers in the midst of battle. Sexual frustration and repression is a theme Milligan seems intent on focusing upon in these issues. While sound in theory, the execution too frequently falls into the realm of high school melodrama.

As with issue #13, the art is handled by Will Conrad and Cliff Richards on different pages. Conrad unfortunately retains the stiff, CG-enhanced style he usually employs when collaborating with Mike Deodato. I much prefer his more traditional, organic superhero style. Richards' sketchier style isn't a great match either. Inconsistent art is a problem this series has suffered from since the beginning.

The notion that the intention of the story is better than the actual execution seems to speak about the statue of the series as a whole. The story is moving in interesting directions and the ties to the greater fabric of the DCU are increasing. But the characterization and art quality simply aren't where they need to be right now.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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