Joe Golem: Occult Detective: Flesh and Blood #2

Writers: Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola
Artist: Patric Reynolds
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

In this second issue of Flesh and Blood, we see Joe Golem, everyone’s favorite occult detective, where we left him in the last issue: about to enter the house of a woman who is possessed. This issue is intense from start to finish, starting strong with Joe and Father Ryan attempting to help the woman who neighbors have been concerned about, and ending with Mr. Church further manipulating people.

This issue bounces back and forth between Joe with Father Ryan and Lori with Mr. Church. Both storylines are slowly revealing the truth about Joe’s past while also giving us both drama and horror to enjoy along the way. We have the team of Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola together writing this series and like a lot of things both of them have done, it’s captivating and creepy. I enjoy how seamlessly they are able to make a story flow while keeping it mysterious.

The artwork in this issue takes the eerie nature of the story and knocks it up to frightening. Patric Reynolds’ art is so unique and sets the tone needed for a comic book series about an occult detective. It is gritty and beautiful at the same time which perfectly fits the city and the time era that the comic book is set in.

I finished the first issue excited and curious about what was going to happen in this one and I’m very pleased to see that it delivered. If this series continues to provide issues that interestingly wrap up events from the previous issue while also establishing an exciting current issue and constructing anticipation for the next one, then this series will continue to be successful and I will continue to sing its praises.