(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

Several months have passed since the tragic events of DEADENDIA, VOLUME 1: THE WATCHER'S TEST. Norma and Badyah have rebuilt Dead End, bigger and better than ever: by day, it's a haunted house in Phoenix Park; at night, they transform it into a hotel for angels and demons visiting the supposedly "neutral" plane 7. The duo has little trouble booking to capacity, thanks to a little help from ambassador Courtney and the friendly angel Fingers.

But things are far from rosy. The Scooby Gang has split up, for one: after his beloved dog Pugsley died, Barney quit his job at Dead End and ran away (eventually moving in with Logs - errr, Logan). Days went by, turning into weeks, then months - and, wracked with guilt, neither he nor Norma have been able to bridge the gulf between them. Meanwhile, Norma is a ghost who, while imbued with magical powers, keeps splitting from her body in times of extreme duress. Badyah, having rescued Pugsley's book of magic from the rubble of the old Dead End, tries to help her friend back to her body by way of a seance; but will this dark magic corrupt her, like it did Pugsley?

On the other side of town, down and out Barney is approached by a demon and offered an ungodly sum of money to be the first human to compete in the Demon Wrestling Federation. While he's dominating in the ring, the cash quickly goes to Barney's head, threatening his relationship with Logan.

All these plot lines come to a head when Dead End hosts a DWF match - featuring none other than Barney vs. a Demon King. But not just any Demon King: Temeluchus's brother, Baal, along with their remaining siblings Paimon and Zagan. (You didn't forget about the coming war between angels and demons, did you? Also: insert "It's a trap!" gif here.)

Volume 2 of DEADENDIA features all the characters we've come to know and love/hate: Barney, Norma, Courtney, Badyah, Logan, Fingers, Kushiel, and Tartarus. We also gain a better (and more terrifying) understanding of the angels (read: not necessarily the "good guys," just the guys that live upstairs). Of course, one character is noticeably absent: dear Pugsley who, imho, stole the show in THE WATCHER'S TEST. THE BROKEN HALO is a bit drabber without him. (That said, I shrieked so hard at the ending that my cat jumped off my lap and ran out of the room. I KNEW IT!!!)

Courtney helps to fill the void left by Pugsley, if even just a bit. (The flashbacks of when Norma and Courtney first met? *chef's kiss*) I loved getting to know his backstory, and the ending is just heartbreaking, filled with pathos yet also a thin thread of hope.

The ending is a tear-jerker, though not quite the absolute sob-fest that was THE WATCHER'S TEST. (Reader, I cried for days. That's why it took me almost three months to pick up THE BROKEN HALO.)

Weirdly enough, THE BROKEN HALO feels more like a cohesive story, which I initially thought I wanted from THE WATCHER'S TEST - but maybe not so much? The disparate story lines made the first volume feel that much weirder.

As far as sophomore efforts go, THE BROKEN HALO is more than solid. I mostly just missed Pugsley, hence the four-star rating. Still a really great read, and one of my favorites of the year. Don't sleep on this one! ( )

Pretty good, but suffers from keeping the core characters separated for most of the book. One storyline has Norma and Badyah dealing with new supernatural powers and the nature of their relationship. Another storyline has Barney hanging with his boyfriend and becoming a professional wrestler. A third storyline is a flashback to Courtney's origins and the start of their relationship with Norma. The convergence of all these streams in the finale helped end the book on a high note even as things go very wrong in what is obviously the middle segment of a trilogy or something longer.

I must admit I hope it is a trilogy, and that Steele goes on to something a bit more interesting after the next volume. ( )

Series Info/Source: 2nd book in the Deadendia graphic novel series. Got a copy from Amazon Vine for review.

Story (4/5): This book continues the quirky and crazy story that started in the first book. Dead End has been reopened as a hotel and features an elevator that travels between the different planes of heaven and hell (with Earth be a neutral in-between plane). Norma is still struggling to keep her ghost in her body and her friendship with Barney is on the rocks. Barney decides to take up demonic wrestling and the next thing Norma knows, the hotel has turned into the location for a literally hellish wrestling ring and Barney is the star.

This book is so off the wall and weird that I love it. I felt like this book wasn’t quite as unique as the first one, but still really enjoyed it. It also wasn’t as humorous as the first book in the series. That being said this was still highly entertaining and well done. I did really like Courtney’s back story and how this tied in with everything else.

Characters (4/5): I really continue to enjoy the crazy characters throughout. Barney is trying to make something of himself (no matter how misguided he is). Norma is struggling to stay attached to her body. We learn a ton about Courtney’s history and how he ended up becoming a demon. Each chapter starts with a character profile showing their ratings for style, bravery, etc. The characters are a big part of what make this a great story.

Setting (4/5): I love the Dead End hotel and the different planes of Heaven and Hell. The whole world is very creative and fun.

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): I enjoy the illustration style here a lot. It’s very cartoony with bright colors. It’s easy to follow and fun to read. Dialogue sounds natural and the story is well written.

Summary (4/5): Overall, although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first in the series...I still liked it a lot. I think part of the novelty of this crazy world and insane characters has worn off for me a bit. However, the illustration and story were still very entertaining and well done. I would recommend to those who enjoy off-the-wall paranormal graphic novels. ( )