Satisfying as it may be, I was stupid enough to overlook the fact that this is the second volume.


Thank you Netgalley for this book!

Bunn and Hurtt back together again, as it should be. The creative team behind one of my favorite comics, The Sixth Gun, returns with another story of demons and gangsters. I pretty much loved just about everything about it, except for the fact that they're going to make us wait for another volume.

Plusy:
+ skomplikowane noir
+ mrok ukryty pod jasnymi rysunkami
+ intrygująca historia
+ bardzo klasyczny komiks

Minusy:
- trochę zbyt mało mroku
- czasem ciężko śledzić scenariusz

'The Damned, Vol. 2: Ill Gotten' by Cullen Bunn with illustrations by Brian Hurtt continues the story set in the world of demons and gangsters in the prohitition era.

The story starts with Eddie dying from a cut throat, then backtracks to the events that let to that event. Eddie is part of the cursed group of gangsters that can see the demons as they are. It seems everyone is hunting for an odd key, and folks will do anything to betray and backstab once they find out who has it.

This is a cool concept and world. I like the concept and characters, even if the story feels strangely familiar. Brian Hurtt's art and character design are really good, and one reason I am glad I came back to this dangerous world.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I liked this second volume of The Damned much better than the first. The story is much more coherent and the art is excellent (The art was great in the first one, too, but the story was... meh). The gangster/demon genre mash-up works well and the characters really come to life.

I saw a blurb that described it as Hellboy meets Boardwalk Empire - I couldn't agree more! Recommended for fans of the supernatural crime fiction.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This volume continues from Vol 1 but can be read as a stand alone. Demons, Gangsters and Eddie are back in a new story. An old pal of Eddie shows up at the club and causes Eddie lots of trouble. The story makes lots of twists of turns and has some surprises. The artwork is good and really fits the story. Enjoy

I'm really pleased to say that this is a great addition to this graphic novel series and, once again, I look forward to upcoming editions.

The Damned has a great original concept of the classic mob story with a heavy dose of noir and the supernatural to make it stand out as something fun and very unique.

I can't wait to buy these in hard copy as I think they will make a welcome addition to my graphic novel shelf!

I have waited a long time for the following to the first book. It was nice to see the quality of storytelling has not diminished. I like where the series is going so I hope Volume three does not take nearly as long to come out.

The Damned graphic novel series is actually the first graphic novel series that I have ever requested from Netgalley. I thought that it would be weird reading a graphic novel on my phone/laptop as illustrations are a massive part in the storytelling process. However, it turned out to be not that bad!

In a prohibition-era world where demonic entities pull the strings that make the crime families dance, Eddie is a mortal with two things working for him. First of all, he can't die. Well, he can and does, quite often, but he doesn't stay that way long. Second, Eddie runs the Gehenna Room, a nightclub with a strict "no demons allowed" policy.

But blessings and curses don't look all that different these days. When one of Eddie's old pals shows up seeking sanctuary, Eddie knows he's in for a double-cross. That means walking the line between salvation and damnation once more.

Collects the 5-issue "Ill-Gotten" storyline from The Damned.

Volume two is definitely better than volume 1. We learn more about the characters and Bunn delves deeper into the storyline which is very very interesting. I am loving the whole demon gangsters/mobsters plot with the fantasy twist of Eddie keep coming back to life. Whilst volume one was definitely a backstory and Bunn building the foundations, this volume dug its teeth into the underbelly of the city and the demons running it. The art and writing style were more gritty, dark and gruesome, with the world becoming more clear and developed, and we also learn more about the curses.

The one thing that really annoyed me about this graphic novel was that there was only one woman. And that woman was used for a love interest. She was just a prop, used as a background 'thing' for the men to talk about. And that REALLY annoyed me.

Moving away from the negatives though, one thing that I could praise Cullen Bunn on FOR DAYS is how he recapped volume one at the beginning of volume two. I was lucky, because I read two straight after one, but for those of you who had to wait aaaggggeeesss for this volume to come out, then at least you got a handle little guide at the beginning giving you a recap. I will never understand why all publishers don't do this if they are publishing a sequel. It's such a good idea.

Anyway, I am very much looking forward to volume three as I do want to find out what happens next and I want to learn more about the underworld, the demons and the curses. Yet again, the artwork was AMAZING, so props to Brian Hurtt and Bill Crabtree.

I received this from Netgalley and publisher for free in exchange for a honest review.

Great world building. Love the graphics and art. Story line was strong. Since it is a graphic novel, I tend not to give anymore away than what the synopsis says due to these are normally so short anyway. I would highly recommend it. It is a bit dark at times but I enjoyed this one. Can't wait to move on to the next one.

The story is a little basic but I love the world and character design enough to read this for a long time. I mean, can it really get any better than demon gangsters? The designs of the different demons are original and very well conceived. I really dig the look of this book. Even though the story is basic, Bunn does seem to be building up to a larger story with the end of this volume.

This was okay, but it pretty much followed the same formula as the first volume so the whole thing has an air of 'been there done that' to it. This is a really great concept but I just wish the writer would do something more with it because it is just such a standard mob story as it is, even if there are demons involved. And once again the only female character in the whole thing is the love interest and basically nothing more than set dressing. It's a nice short read but not something I can really make myself emotionally invested in.

I really enjoyed the first volume of The Damned, but I think this one was better! It tells the continuing story of Eddie, a damned man trying to make his way in a prohibition era city that just happens to be run by demons. I found this story arc more coherent and fluid with good plotting and nice characterisation. The artwork was great, although it seemed a little different to the first volume - Eddie wasn't as thin I think, but maybe that's because his circumstances have changed. There was much more human interaction in this volume, which I enjoyed and I felt that overall it was a really enjoyable story and I look forward to the next instalment as this one finishes on a pretty intriguing note.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A disappointing sequel
"The town's got more than its share of grifters, skid rogues and hatchet men."
"I ought to know. I count myself amongst them."
"But I'm the only one who ends up with his throat cut wide on the regular."

Eddie is a puppet of Al, a demon mobster boss. The only thing that makes Eddie much more useful than a regular puppet is his inability to die. However, Eddie's ability comes with a cost.


Eddie is a made man, especially now that he's well-off. But Eddie is also a damned man.

Kidnapping, beatings, romances and ghouls: nothing new
"Managing the Gehenna Room....hobnobbing with the rich and powerful...discussing contract negotiations. If I didn't know any better Eddie, I'd think you had grown a set of horns yourself."

This volume is more of the same, only that Eddie has slowly started deteriorating into a "monster" no different from the demons he works for. The plot twists and events are no different from the first volume; they just have a different skin. The romance is more of the same, although Eddie isn't directly involved. The new characters are pretty bland, too. This volume was as soulless as Eddie himself. We find out about his past, but it's not really riveting.

No sense of style
The quality of artwork has definitely deteriorated in this volume.

Bada-bing! We have an anti-hero
"Human from the looks of him. not a demon. Not sure if that makes me more or less afraid of him. Playing with demons for too long can turn you into a real monster."

Eddie's a double-crossing bastard. He's no goodfella who looks rough around the edges. He's an ass, and he knows it. I still enjoyed this aspect of the comic quite a bit. Eddie has no omerta.

The Damned Vol 2: Ill-Gotten gains by Cullen Bunn is a reminder why I fell for this supernatural horror detective noir comic when I read Vol 1. Cullen Bunn is one of those comic creators whose witty originality is lost on the mass produce Marvel and DC lines and falls perfectly into the realm of the independent comic.

In prohibition era America, crime families are actually being run by demons that only some people can recognize behind their human disguises. Eddie is a mortal who can recognize them but Eddie is not quite what he seems either. First of all he isn't exactly mortal. Eddie can't die. He can, but he doesn't stay dead for long. He keeps being brought back, as long as someone takes his place and this is usually when the demon mob bosses want something. And that is never a good thing.

Eddie runs his club called the Gehenna Room with a strict no demons allowed policy. But when an old friend shows up, the demons come looking. Eddie knows that not all is as it seems and he finds that he cannot trust anyone, especially not his friends. Its cross and double-cross and though Eddie knows he cannot stay dead, he would like to not have to die over and over again.

This is what comics do so well and what other mediums fail at so miserably. The blending of genres and the creation of a world that moves seamlessly. The Damned is Sam Spade. It is The Untouchables. It is what Lucifer tries to be and every B-Movie (by the way I love B-Movies!) on the Sci-Fi channel tries to be. And it does it without breaking a sweat.

Ill-Gotten is about love, about devotion. about betrayal and about one man's desire to save the woman he loves. It is also about demons and killing and hillbilly moonshiners and well, you get the picture.

Cullen Bunn may be one of those comic book stars whose shine you do not see as of yet but that is only because he works in a galaxy you can't see yet.

Another well done volume. I found myself liking it a bit more than the first. Hopefully, the authors will continue to improve in the future.

What?? I can’t believe I passed by this so many times!

I read volume 1 years ago - I think when the black and white trade first came out - and <i><b>loved</b></i> it. The story was great, and the art was amazing. But then I lent it out, lost track of it, and haven’t been able to figure out what it was called or who published it. But I remembered it. Then I saw NetGalley offer the color version! I thought to myself, “That’s the comic I’ve been looking for!”

I finally got it, and re-read it, and loved it all over again. But I thought NetGalley had volume 1 in 2 separate parts. So I kept passing over this just thinking it was the second part. Dummy! OK, so I got it.

And, OMG! Thank you for writing some back story! The first page talks a bit about what we learned and what happened in volume 1. Why doesn’t everyone do this with every book? Even prose novels! I can’t stand picking up part 2 of a series 6 months after reading part 1 and trying desperately to remember what happened in the previous book, and how it ended.

And the story is fantastic! I’m really enjoying this. And this art makes you want to look at it, take a deep breath, and really imagine the environment. Hear and feel everything going on. In the club with the music playing, the dice hitting the craps table, the old Model Ts driving on the dirt road through the woods.

I guess the moral of this story - same with the moral of every story about demons - is don’t mess with demons.

<i>You play with blades, <b>somebody’s</b> going to get cut. Sometimes, <b>everybody</b> bleeds.</i>

(Ooh! And there’s a set up of for more! Volume 3? I can’t wait!)

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

This series is just getting better as it progresses. In the second installment we find out a bit more of our characters' back stories. Each one is built well, even if they're built in quick sequences. They know how to pack information in small spaces. As before, the artwork really shines. The contrasts between dreary and bold set the mood so well. It's a masterful thing that many artists never achieve. As with the first, this is definitely an older teen or adult graphic novel. There's quite a bit of violence and blood, although not really any gore otherwise. There's a decent amount of swearing. I've read books with more but you don't get more than a page or two without finding some. As for sexual content, there are allusions but that's as far as it goes. Overall, it's a very entertaining series so far and I'm excited to follow it from here.

I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful blend of horror and noir, this second volume in the Damned series continues in the strong tradition set by its predecessor. The wonderful illustrations of Brian Hurtt vividly bring the glamorous and often dangerous prohibition era setting to life , and he is not afraid to bring the gore as well as the glamour. The story by Cullen Bunn is wonderfully tragic, and deliciously dark. This series is rapidly becoming one of my favorites, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The Damned Vol.2 is paranormal and a mobster graphic novel rolled in one. The demons are all around making deals for souls but only the damned can see them. Eddie is cursed and runs one of the few place demons have agreed not to tread. An old friend comes back into Eddie's life bringing trouble and pitting the demon gangs against each other. Double crosses and intrigue fill the story and keep the pages turning full of action. A unique story line, enjoyable for the originality of the tale and the characters throughout and the quality of the dark, expressive art. It's a fast-paced, attention grabbing dark read. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.