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Demon, The:

John Byrne’s Blood of the Demon (2005-2006)

In early 2005, the Demon got a new ongoing series, his first since the cancellation of The Demon Vol. 3 a decade before. This new series, titled Blood of the Demon, was plotted and penciled by John Byrne. Byrne had already tackled most of the properties Jack Kirby had created for DC, and his work on the Demon would be his final Kirby reinterpretation prior to the DC Universe being rebooted in 2011. Blood of the Demon, however, wasn’t well-received. Still, it lasted 17 issues — one more than Jack Kirby’s original series.

DC’s Infinite Crisis occurred during Byrne’s run, although Blood of the Demon mostly avoided tie-in issues, unlike most of DC’s lines. Issues #6-7 featured the Spectre, tying into the magic-focused Day of Vengeance mini-series, which led into Infinite Crisis. In the wake of Infinite Crisis, all of its mainstream super-hero titles leaped one year forward, in terms of continuity, and Blood of the Demon was no exception; issue #13 thus occurs one year after issue #12.

During this period, Grant Morrison was busy reinterpreting various DC characters in his Seven Soldiers meta-series. One of the seven Seven Soldiers mini-series was focused on Klarion the Witchboy, usually associated with the Demon. Morrison and artist Frazer Irving reinterpreted Klarion for the times as an emo character.

Blood of the Demon #1

“Born Again” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • Jason Blood is killed, gets better, and finds that Etrigan has become totally evil

first issue; cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated May 2005

Blood of the Demon #2

“Hunters” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • Batman appears at the end of the story

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated June 2005
Blood of the Demon #3

“Friends and Enemies” -- 22 pages

  • written by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • features Batman and the Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Plastic Man)

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated July 2005
Blood of the Demon #4

“Masks” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • features cameo appearances by Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman (leading into the following issue)

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Aug 2005
Blood of the Demon #5

“Today We Choose Faces” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • features Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Sept 2005
Blood of the Demon #6

“The Gathering Storm” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • features Eclipso and the Spectre
  • ties into Day of Vengeance

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Oct 2005
Blood of the Demon #7

“Cages of the Mind” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Bud LaRosa (as Nekros)
  • ties into Day of Vengeance
  • features the Spectre, who is waging a war on magic

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Nov 2005
Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #1

“From This World to That Which is to Come” -- 22 pages

  • written by Grant Morrison; art by Frazer Irving
  • introduces a new, emo Klarion
  • officially occurs the week before Infinite Crisis

first issue; cover by Frazer Irving; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated June 2005

Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #2

“Badde” -- 22 pages

  • written by Grant Morrison; art by Frazer Irving
  • features the Foundation Stone, the underground market seen in Seven Soldiers: The Guardian

cover by Frazer Irving; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated Aug 2005
Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #3

“The Deviant Ones” -- 22 pages

  • written by Grant Morrison; art by Frazer Irving

cover by Frazer Irving; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated Oct 2005
Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #4

“Burn, Witchboy, Burn!” -- 22 pages

  • written by Grant Morrison; art by Frazer Irving

final issue; cover by Frazer Irving; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated Dec 2005

Blood of the Demon #8

“Mind Games” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Dec 2005
Blood of the Demon #9

untitled (a.k.a. “Tortured Souls”) -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Jan 2006
Blood of the Demon #10

“New Gods and Old Monsters” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green
  • features Metron and Mr. Miracle

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Feb 2006

Additional Images:

Blood of the Demon #11

“Angels & Devils” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green
  • features Batman

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Mar 2006
Blood of the Demon #12

“Wrath of the Lamb” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated Apr 2006
Blood of the Demon #13

“Demon Quest” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Doug Hazlewood
  • occurs one year after Blood of the Demon #12

first “One Year Later” issue; cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated May 2006
Blood of the Demon #14

“This Painful Existence” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.50; cover-dated June 2006
Blood of the Demon #15

“Lost & Found” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated July 2006
Blood of the Demon #16

“Pandemonium” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated Aug 2006
Blood of the Demon #17

“I Wish I Might…” -- 22 pages

  • script by Will Pfeifer; story by John Byrne; pencils by John Byrne; inks by Dan Green

final issue; cover by John Byrne; published by DC Comics; $2.99; cover-dated Sept 2006


Tagged Blood of the Demon, , , Seven Soldiers.