Issue(s): Cloak and Dagger #8
Cover Date: Sep 86
Title: "Vacation"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Mike Mignola - Penciler
Terry Austin - Inker
Carl Potts - Editor

Review/plot:
Cloak and Dagger are in Europe and their somewhat suspicious companion Bill Clayton has convinced them to take a vacation. That suits Dagger very well and we see the immediate effect of taking some time off and/or getting away from Cloak's influence. The vigilantism on display two issues ago is completely gone. Cloak, on the other hand is unwilling and unable (unlike Dagger, he's unable to take off his costume and wear street clothes)...

...to give up on the hunt for the smugglers that they are tracking, and the fact that Dagger is going off with Bill is driving him crazy.

But he does manage to track down a group of drug dealers on his own...

...and awesomely absorbs one that tries to flee in a car, and sends him careening off a cliff.

The narration winks at us, saying that Cloak really isn't a murderer for putting the driver back on the road, right?.

Really nice Mike Mignola art on all of the above.

Also in this issue, Father Delgado tries to solicit the help of Daimon Hellstrom on his quest to perform an exorcism on Cloak and Dagger, but Hellstorm thinks Delgado is on the wrong track.

And Mayhem hunts down the cop that betrayed her, resulting in her death, but she backs off from killing him when her police captain comes out and says the woman he knew wouldn't take the law into her own hands.

Mantlo and Mignola have worked together before on Hulk and Rocket Raccoon, but this story suits Mignola's moody style perfectly and it's a nice treat. Surrounding issues have also had good artists but something about this issue really clicks for me.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Hellstorm's appearance here is context free. Cloak next appears in Doctor Strange #78 while he and Dagger are separated.

References:

• Cloak and Dagger stopped the drug smugglers from distributing their heroin in Cloak and Dagger #6, and stowed away on their ship and then destroyed it last issue.
  
• Brigid O'Reilly died and became Mayhem in Cloak and Dagger #5.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Somehow looking at Mignola on this comic really does give off more of a "Proto-Hellboy" vibe than some of his other works for Marvel.

Mantlo was doing a lot better here than on Alpha Flight. For some reason, this Cloak & Dagger series had bad distribution by me. I picked up the first issue and never saw another one. I didn't pick up another issue until their run on the new Strange Tales.