Volume 2 was definitely more complicated than Volume 1. I had to pay attention to understand who he was possessing. I liked the twist in the storyline and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

If you followed my review for the first volume of Jason Shiga’s Demon and Bookhunter, then you already know what I’m going to give this book. Shiga is unlike any other storyteller because of the intricate details he puts into the plot. He explains everything in this volume, the history, what’s happening to our demonic soul possessing everyone in sight. All of it. There’s not much to say about this volume because I don’t want to spoil the book for you. I will tell you that in a way our main character Jimmy Lee gets himself into not one, but three unbelievably crazy situations that give the sense of him having no way out. If you thought his prison escape was something of sheer brilliance, wait until you read this volume.

What isn’t addressed in this volume is Jimmy’s sudden apathy for other people’s lives. He initially tried to kill himself after accidentally killing someone else and yet now that he can possess others, he doesn’t seem to give two shits about anyone. This is amplified for another reason I won’t get into. We’ll see if this plays out in the next two volumes, but it was something that came across as a character trait rather than a story catalyst.
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The writing continues to be sharp. As I said, Shiga writes in a mathematical way. Which is strange to say, because you wouldn’t necessarily think that it translates into something creative, but it does. Mostly because of the dark humor that Shiga pours into the story. This humor is highlighted on the dedication page in which Shiga makes yet another dedication to his wife. I won’t spoil the gag, but it made me laugh. Might be a marriage thing now that I think about it, but still funny. Due to the nature of the story, there isn’t a ton of character development. The frantic pace of Jimmy’s actions keeps rarely gives the story a chance to breathe.

The art is consistent with the first volume which is good. The worst thing that can happen to a web series that’s being collected is having the artist grow. I know that sounds wrong, but it is. Because collected readers will look at it and see the growth, but it distracts from the story. Shiga’s style continues to be simplistic and yet complex LEGO/NES era designs. It’s at times like reading an old school video game, and I love that. It’s still really detailed, and Shiga pays attention to things like body language and posture when characters are sitting. Little details like that make it easy to fall in love with the art.

Jimmy’s story continues. There’s layers added, and the ending of this volume is not only shocking, but it’s ridiculously funny. There’s no way to predict what Shiga will do with the story, and that is incredibly rare in comics today. This gets points for being original, funny and illustrated brilliantly. If you claim to love comics, but you’re not reading Demon, then I question the words coming out of your mouth.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott

“Well that clears up the first volume,” is NOT what you want to be saying come Volume 2. In this highly idiosyncratic, hyper-violent, conspiracy laden graphic novel (much like its predecessor) sequel, we find ourselves saying just that and then from out of nowhere, some of the nitty-gritties start to show, and this time the stakes are higher. As with the previous graphic novel, this is NOT for children – it caters to discerning teens/adults who know what they’re getting themselves into, perhaps If they read Vol. 1. Regardless, despite the over-the-top violence and almost casual intent on racking up a body count, there is the making of a brilliant story, depending on how Volumes 3 and 4 turn out. This time around, there are definite secrets revealed and tangible nuggets of information that the first volume had trouble in pacing out.

The writing in The Demon: Volume 2 is more sharp-witted, and varied, now that actual human players have entered firmly entrenched on the chessboard. There is no room for expository here, all the energy and emotion and angst from Vol. 1, spills out in open dialogue. Even when the characters are ‘thinking,’ they are doing it out loud – a very surreal effect, I overlooked in the first volume. Some of the dialogue is downright hilarious given the rather gruesome nature of the novel. Humor plays an important role in this volume and helps add levity in the face of sheer atrocity (dark humor at its finest), and there is the occasional profane slur to keep it ‘real.’ The dialogue couldn’t rest on its own without the art, however.

The art is just as minimalist in The Demon: Volume 2 as it was in Vol. 1, and just as quirky as the series itself. It is, once again, Shiga’s strong propelling panelation and sequence of events that catapults this story forwards. Humor carries over from the writing into the art, and gives that quirkiness an almost comforting feel. Ben Yee still looks like himself, as the case permits, and it is very possible to ‘read’ the story from the images alone. Even the (quite) bizarre and grotesque scenes are done simply because they add fun to the story. This is not to say the art is non grotesque in places, but that it does it in the ‘dead chicken with X’s for eyes’ style, and one execution isn’t much different from another. The body count, for the most part, is kept relatively in the background and the seemingly simplistic art drives a much harder punch than the story itself – it IS the story itself.

This type of synergy between art and word is a rare occurrence these days and it’s people like Jason Shiga in The Demon series that remind us of the power of the graphic novel in conveying a story. The art and words complement each other so well and produces a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s this synergy that makes you laugh out loud when you should be utterly revulsed. It was apparently “penciled with a Bic Ballpoint {pen]” and the levity of the writer/artist lends further credence to his work. Incidentally, for those who haven’t read Vol. 1, the anti-hero Ben Yee is a staple of another Shiga production.

All things being equal, I felt that this was a satisfying read. The Demon: Volume 2 brings high octane adventure, conspiracy theory, graphic violence and more to the table (no sex though). The apprehensions I had with the first volume have been overcome and surpassed my expectations. This graphic novel rocks, and I’d highly recommend it to buffs of thrillers, conspiracy theorists, independent comics fans and anyone looking for a fast, exciting ride with mayhem. Oh and while you’re treating yourself to The Demon: Volume 2, pick up Volume 1 just… well… because.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Again, I just love this book! Book one was hilarious, and book two easily followed suit keeping up with the hilarious, and gruesome antics of our protagonist. This book truly isn't for the faint of heart. You have to be into pretty dark and gritty humor to appreciate this.

Original, daring, and hilarious. Love this series!

This was a great follow up for this series. Action packed and full of fun surprises!

this book was a little bit creepy. I did not enjoy the amount of death in this book.

This comic book is probably too violent for even Quentin Tarantino to turn into a movie...which is exactly why he'll want to. It's super violent, super funny and super clever, which is quite a lot of supers. I wasn't completely sold on Volume 1. We met Jimmy, who is so upset about the death of his wife and child in a car accident with an idiot drunk driver that he kills himself. Or at least he TRIES to kill himself. Every time he does, Jimmy's soul leaps into the body of the nearest living person. Once he figures this out, Jimmy uses his status as a demon to attempt revenge on the driver that killed his family. Essentially this means blowing his brains out again and again when he's near the next person he wants to possess -- like a prison guard for example. It's a loopy idea and at first a little repetitive, though Shiga did come up with some grand twists to this twisted adventure. Still, I felt it had run its course by the end of Volume 1. And this is a four volume series? Turns out he was just getting going. In Volume 2, Jimmy is being hunted by a secret government agency desperate to use his demon powers to topple bad governments. So they're the good guys, sort of, until they use Jimmy's daughter (she's a demon, too, so she's still alive actually) to blackmail him. The resulting bloodbath is hilariously complicated and fun as Jimmy kills his host bodies to accomplish remarkably elaborate plans to thwart the government. It builds and builds like the best action films and a comic book may be the best if not the only way for this insane idea to work with such reckless abandon. From being uninterested in Volume 2, I'm now chomping at the bit for Volume 3 and 4. Go Jimmy! (Just don't kill me, please.) -- Michael Giltz

Fantastic book! Littered with bodies and chess-like moves between bodies, Demon volume two is a winner. Not for the faint of heart, but an enjoyable and tangled web of a story. Jason Shiga's art is distinctive as always. Can't wait for volume three!