TWILIGHT
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Penciller: Shawn McManus
Inker: Mark McKenna
Cover Price: $1.25
Release Date: December 20th, 1988
Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net
To read the other reviews of this arc, check out the "The Night of Brahma" label.
Kent Nelson is dead but Nabu inhabits Kent's corpse to mentor the new Dr. Fate, Eric Strauss, who was a 10 year old boy aged up to an adult by Nabu. But the catch is that Eric must merge with his stepmother Linda in order to become Fate. Joined by a shapeshifting demon named Petey and a lawyer named Jack Small (who has been turned into a pegasus), Nabu and Eric and Linda must face the Lords of Order and stop them from allowing chaos to win.
But the Lords of Order have contacted a vampire named Andrew Bennett, who wants to die but comes back to life after every suicide. If he helps them then they will let him die, and this offer is what starts the issue.
"There comes to all things a time of rest... of deep sleep... of return to the nothing's state from which everything has emerged. This is the Mahapralaya... the sleep of the Brahma... when all creation folds back into itself... and is no more. The universe, as you well know, is corrupt. Stinking of sin. Stained, beyond salvation, by chaos. You have walked the Earth for centuries under the vampire's curse, have known pain beyond endurance, have grown tired beyond words. You understand how desperately the sleep of Brahma is needed. That is why you shall help us bring the Mahapralaya about. And, through it, you shall finally know peace. And the universe will be free of chaos. And madness. And death."
Meanwhile, back at the apartment...
Poor Jack Small. They do end up turning him human again, but as a midget. Eric and Linda separate from being Dr. Fate and immediately start bickering because that's what they do all the time.
They go in search of Kent to fix their Jack problem, and they find him floating in his room eating a cheeseburger. He gives Jack a milk shake that turns him back to normal size, and then asks if they'd all like to go for a walk in the park for a... war council?
What's Andrew up to? He's at the temple.
Andrew: "Once there was God. Pattern. Meaning. Once... NO! There is no God. Here is no pattern. Chaos is too small a word to encompass this meaningless existence. No beauty, no innocence. No love? Answer me. Is life only suffering? Is man insane?"
Andrew: "ANSWER ME!"
The Lords of Chaos: "Will you help us?"
Andrew: "YES!"
Let's head on over to the park. The gang meets up with Typhon, who is a lord of chaos. Eric HATES Typhon because apparently he kept kept Eric captive in the mini-series that came out before this ongoing series.
So they fight while Kent tries to stop them. Petey starts with a distraction attack for Eric and Linda can become Fate, but he's swatted away easily.
Kent keeps trying to make it stop but Eric is pretty pissed. Everybody keeps telling Kent to be silent, everybody but Jack keeps calling him Nabu so he has to keep correcting them, and everybody keeps saying Typhon's name (Typhon doesn't like his name being spoken).
It's a pretty entertaining fight scene. The banter in this series is great.
Finally Kent has had enough and he turns Fate back into Eric and Linda.
Kent asks if Typhon is okay, which sets Eric off again.
Kent explains that Typhon is on their side and wanted a truce. They keep interrupting him so he's finally like "Jee-sus! Can't I finish a sentence without being interrupted?" which gave me a chuckle. I love this Kent.
Typhon tells them about the Mahapralaya...
Petey: "Ma-ha-vat?"
Typhon: "Mahapralaya, foolish demon. The sleep of Brahma. The end of order. The end of chaos. The end of all we know -- and all we don't know."
Typhon: "The Lords of Order claim that the universe cannot truly end... that, in time, the lotus blooms again... creation emerges... and a 'golden age', controlled by the order-lords, inevitably follows. Perhaps that is so. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, order is seeking to bring on the Mahapralaya prematurely - in hopes of ending chaos' reign--"
Kent: "-- and all life with it."
Kent agrees to help, and of course Eric is livid. "In case you haven't noticed, Eric, out boy Fate's a little new at this game. There's no way in hell he could do this alone."
Suddenly Typhon begins to fade away because he can't stay in this plane for long without a host, but it doesn't take him long to find a host...
Jack Small just cannot catch a break!
On the last page we see Andrew Bennett boarding a flight and ordering... a Bloody Mary, of course! Get it? He's a vampire!
Bits and Pieces
Yet again, this series has another issue with everything. Deep emotion, comic relief, well written banter, action, magic, darkness, and a lawyer talking about acid flashbacks, all with none of it feeling out of place. This is a must-read.
But the Lords of Order have contacted a vampire named Andrew Bennett, who wants to die but comes back to life after every suicide. If he helps them then they will let him die, and this offer is what starts the issue.
"There comes to all things a time of rest... of deep sleep... of return to the nothing's state from which everything has emerged. This is the Mahapralaya... the sleep of the Brahma... when all creation folds back into itself... and is no more. The universe, as you well know, is corrupt. Stinking of sin. Stained, beyond salvation, by chaos. You have walked the Earth for centuries under the vampire's curse, have known pain beyond endurance, have grown tired beyond words. You understand how desperately the sleep of Brahma is needed. That is why you shall help us bring the Mahapralaya about. And, through it, you shall finally know peace. And the universe will be free of chaos. And madness. And death."
Meanwhile, back at the apartment...
Poor Jack Small. They do end up turning him human again, but as a midget. Eric and Linda separate from being Dr. Fate and immediately start bickering because that's what they do all the time.
They go in search of Kent to fix their Jack problem, and they find him floating in his room eating a cheeseburger. He gives Jack a milk shake that turns him back to normal size, and then asks if they'd all like to go for a walk in the park for a... war council?
What's Andrew up to? He's at the temple.
Andrew: "Once there was God. Pattern. Meaning. Once... NO! There is no God. Here is no pattern. Chaos is too small a word to encompass this meaningless existence. No beauty, no innocence. No love? Answer me. Is life only suffering? Is man insane?"
Andrew: "ANSWER ME!"
The Lords of Chaos: "Will you help us?"
Andrew: "YES!"
Let's head on over to the park. The gang meets up with Typhon, who is a lord of chaos. Eric HATES Typhon because apparently he kept kept Eric captive in the mini-series that came out before this ongoing series.
So they fight while Kent tries to stop them. Petey starts with a distraction attack for Eric and Linda can become Fate, but he's swatted away easily.
Kent keeps trying to make it stop but Eric is pretty pissed. Everybody keeps telling Kent to be silent, everybody but Jack keeps calling him Nabu so he has to keep correcting them, and everybody keeps saying Typhon's name (Typhon doesn't like his name being spoken).
It's a pretty entertaining fight scene. The banter in this series is great.
Finally Kent has had enough and he turns Fate back into Eric and Linda.
Kent asks if Typhon is okay, which sets Eric off again.
Kent explains that Typhon is on their side and wanted a truce. They keep interrupting him so he's finally like "Jee-sus! Can't I finish a sentence without being interrupted?" which gave me a chuckle. I love this Kent.
Typhon tells them about the Mahapralaya...
Petey: "Ma-ha-vat?"
Typhon: "Mahapralaya, foolish demon. The sleep of Brahma. The end of order. The end of chaos. The end of all we know -- and all we don't know."
Typhon: "The Lords of Order claim that the universe cannot truly end... that, in time, the lotus blooms again... creation emerges... and a 'golden age', controlled by the order-lords, inevitably follows. Perhaps that is so. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, order is seeking to bring on the Mahapralaya prematurely - in hopes of ending chaos' reign--"
Kent: "-- and all life with it."
Kent agrees to help, and of course Eric is livid. "In case you haven't noticed, Eric, out boy Fate's a little new at this game. There's no way in hell he could do this alone."
Suddenly Typhon begins to fade away because he can't stay in this plane for long without a host, but it doesn't take him long to find a host...
Jack Small just cannot catch a break!
On the last page we see Andrew Bennett boarding a flight and ordering... a Bloody Mary, of course! Get it? He's a vampire!
Bits and Pieces
Yet again, this series has another issue with everything. Deep emotion, comic relief, well written banter, action, magic, darkness, and a lawyer talking about acid flashbacks, all with none of it feeling out of place. This is a must-read.
8.5/10
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