IN THIS ONE... Time gives a Victorian sorcerer access to two children from 1980 so he can use them to summon a demon.
REVIEW: Imagine your name is Zebediah Clench, wouldn't YOU turn evil? This story is one of the most gorgeously illustrated in the lot. Subtle colors, a well-orchestrated balance of fully-painted panels and white spaces, neat special effects like a frame inside the frame to represent frozen time, and a cool demon at the end. The story also has a couple of interesting features, including a page where we see Sapphire and Steel in 1864, no time travel involved! One television story implied they were immortal or at least long-lived, but this seems to confirm it. They feel something as Time makes its deal with the sorcerer, but then essentially have to wait 116 years before it intersects their mission again. I must say I'm also happy to see the kids fight back a little, escaping Clench's clutches for the length of a chapter to extend the story, but also leave a crucial clue before being recaptured. And it's a bit of a Christmas story, with a bit of Dickens on the side, and the kids getting an impromptu invitation to a feast while on the lam.
Nevertheless, there are a couple moments I have a hard time explaining. Chief among these is Time's plan. At one point, it possesses a homeless old woman who gives the heroes some information on how to find the kids. Sapphire and Steel soon show up, fight the demon, throw Time's avatar (a stuffed owl) into the fire, and save the kids. So... why did Time give them directions? I suppose that since it was taking control of the demon - the fearsome beasts was summoned and, genie-like, was waiting for orders, but Clench foolishly thought he was summoning his "master" (not all demons are Satan himself, yo) - it hoped to kill the two agents. A trap gone wrong? As with most plot holes, all we need to fill it is a bit of dialog, a reoriented emphasis, something. Not a big deal, but it did confuse on first reading.
READABILITY: Medium-High - Some puzzling moments, but on the art alone, it gets a good review. And it's fun to imagine a Sapphire and Steel "Christmas Special".
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