Death Jr.#3 (of 3) - Image (2005)

Yeah, it's based on a video game but don't hold that against it.

Gary Whitta wraps up the story with the requisite amount of drama and action and Ted Naifeh draws the hell out of it. I can't easily describe the style other than to say it is cute and creepy at the same time. Naifeh's really good at that kind of stuff.

The cover (see above) was done by Steve Purcell who put his own stamp on the work while maintaining the look Naifeh established for the interiors (along with, I suppose, the look of the game). Click on the non-cover images on this page for examples of Naifeh's work.

The story features Death Jr. who is, in fact, Death's son. They live in the suburbs, "DJ" goes to school, his mom does the June Cleaver thing and Dad goes to work. Jr. doesn't realize that his dad does anything unusual nor does he pay much attention to the fact that he ends up hanging out with the outcasts and freaks at school.

A field trip to the museum goes bad in issue #1 when DJ's friend Pandora opens something she shouldn't. The world is in peril. Hijinks ensue.

It's a really endearing story with some cool moments and more than a few touching ones. It is also, as you might guess, very funny. The art and the way the story is told make it good for younger readers as well as for "grownups" who will get more of the references. Speaking of younger readers, there are some scary monsters and (as the title suggests) many mentions of "little-d" death alongside "big-D" Death so take that under advisement. It's all light-hearted and fun, though. No more frightening than The Addams Family TV show.

Each issue will cost you $4.99 but the covers are made of cardstock, the pages are high-quality & glossy and there are no ads. Well worth the price, says I.