The Darkness #1 Review

Jackie Estacado is doing what Jackie Estacado does best living reckless, zero reflection, all vibes, no brakes. Casual hookup with someone he just met? Normal Tuesday. Black, inky streams of supernatural goo pouring out of him mid-action? Yeah… that part’s new. Even Jackie’s like, “Hold up, that wasn’t on the itinerary.” The woman, understandably alarmed and absolutely not trained for this nonsense, asks if this is some kind of STD she needs to worry about. And right on cue because the universe has jokes an angel pops in. Mood absolutely obliterated.

This is how The Darkness #1 kicks the door down, and honestly, it’s kind of perfect. Marc Silvestri wastes zero time reminding us that this world doesn’t ease you in gently it throws you headfirst into the weird and lets you figure it out on the way down. Jackie isn’t searching for meaning, destiny, or responsibility. He just wanted a good night. Instead, he gets divine surveillance and a cosmic intervention.

Turns out angels are showing up because there’s a major problem roaming around some being of pure darkness with control over an entire otherworldly dimension packed with demons. Big power. World ending type stuff. Only twist? That being hasn’t fully awakened yet. He doesn’t know who or what he really is. And guess who that mystery package is? Yep. Jackie. The angels know that as long as he stays clueless, he’s easier to deal with. The Darkness inside him, however, is clearly not interested in staying quiet or cooperative.

Silvestri frames Jackie’s awakening with a clean, straightforward setup that works. No overcomplication, no lore dump overload just enough breadcrumbs to say, “Buckle up, this is about to get real.” Jackie’s classic anti-hero energy is intact, but there’s a subtle shift happening. This isn’t just another night gone sideways. This is adulthood showing up uninvited, kicking the door in, and demanding attention. Watching Jackie potentially evolve from self-indulgent chaos magnet to someone who actually has to deal with consequences could be one hell of a ride.

Visually, the book leans hard into darkness and commits. Ed Benes and the inking squad keep everything slick, shadow-soaked, and dripping with atmosphere, while Arif Prianto’s colors make sure nothing ever feels safe or bright. Action flows smoothly across the page with a kind of effortless glide that looks damn good. The problem? Everything looks supernatural. Everything. Angels, demons, random bar folks everybody’s glowing with the same dark radiance. It’s stylish, no doubt, but it flattens the visual range a bit. When everything looks powerful, nothing really hits as holy crap powerful.

That same issue shows up in how Jackie reacts to the madness around him. For someone standing at the edge of cosmic revelation, he’s surprisingly chill. The story tells us the power here is massive, reality-warping, endgame stuff but the page doesn’t always make you feel that weight. It looks cool. It just doesn’t always land with the punch it promises.

Still, there’s no denying the groundwork here is solid. This version of The Darkness feels like it could go anywhere new mythology, new threats, new angles that don’t have to be chained to what came before. That flexibility might be its biggest strength. If future issues crank up the emotional stakes and let the power feel as dangerous as it’s supposed to be, this series could easily level up fast.

This is a strong, stylish reentry into Jackie Estacado’s world. It’s got the attitude, the setup, and the swagger. Now it just needs to press harder on the gas.

SCORE:
4/5

(W) Marc Silvestri
(A) Matt Banning, Sal Regla, John Livesay, Arif Prianto, Ed Benes
(CA) Marc Silvestri, Arif Prianto
(Publisher) Top Cow/ImageComics

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!