I honestly didn't know what to expect from this comic book. I'm not a devotee of the band's, and I knew that the Dark Horse incarnation of the property steered clear of the horror genre that characterized KISS Psycho Circus from Image Comics. What Casey and Rubi present us with instead is, oddly enough, straight out super-hero storytelling. This issue is thoroughly accessible and clear, but there's little in the characters that really grab me.
Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and the Beast King find themselves trapped in a dangerous dimension that's a mirror reflection of their own world, and it's ruled by a powerful and malevolent entity who calls himself the Dark Czar. The Czar has turned one of the heroes' number against them, and he plans to do the same to another. The heroes can return to their home, but they won't until they've reclaimed their friend and ended the threat of the Dark Czar.
Rubi's work on this issue strikes me as a cross between the styles of J. Scott Campbell and Jon Bogdanove. The end result is some pretty standard super-hero art. The colors bring out a lot of energy, which suits the cosmic nature of the characters and conflict. Ultimately, though, the art fails to grab me. It's capable and conveys a larger-than-life atmosphere onto the title characters. But there's no single image that leaves a lasting impression either.
The same holds true of the script. Casey offers up some decent fight scenes for Rubi to render, but when it comes to characterization, the book is, for the most part, empty. Mind you, Casey's not the one to blame. It's no secret how closely monitored licensed-property projects can be, and I imagine the writer's hands are somewhat tied. The one aspect of the script that did entertain was the casual, down-to-earth and tongue-in-cheek attitude of the Demon, AKA Gene Simmons's avatar. The character's rougher edges makes for a nice balance with the stilted speech the others spout.
This is cosmic super-hero stuff... the Silver Surfer is split in four and sent out to fight evil, essentially. And the cosmic nature of the players and plot is easily the book's most limiting trait. There's nothing to connect with here... unless you're a member of the Kiss Army and looking to see the rockers kick some other-dimensional ass, I suppose.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
