Dynamite Entertainment 2014
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by Matt Triano
Coloured by Mark Roberts
To be honest when I saw this title was out I had forgotten about it, out of sight out mind and all that. It had been a while since I read the last issue but that didn’t diminish my excitement that I was read the next chapter. Once you start reading this issue the excitement immediately returns and the memory of what you read floods back so I didn’t have to go back and re-read anything which is a testament to how good writer that Joshua is.
Thank you Matt and Mark too because dang boys the interior artwork here is outrageously good with the depiction of the demons in their various forms and then there’s Lucifer himself all surrounded by the red tones of Hell it really makes pay attention. Then of course there’s our cast of characters themselves all of whom are struggling with various realizations that god and lucifer really exist and what they going through is depicted beautifully.
They’ve lost Samir and the Cardinal well he made a deal with the devil for the greater good of course just going to show that you really can’t trust anyone with the Church. There’s something funny in the fact a man who supposed dedicated his life to God would turn Judas and then try to justify it. The man’s delusional and it seems that while the demons have decided to usurp Lucifer’s position he was prepared for that and well you never should trust the Devil but that will happen later. Cardinal Green yeah he represents everything wrong with the Church I understand that but now that the Vatican was destroyed and hellspawn spewed forth onto the Earth in this world they don’t have to worry with men such as him mucking with things they shouldn’t anymore.
I’m still struck with how the interior artwork is just so striking and the battle of one of their own with Lucifer well that’s something special to see. Oh did you really think Malcolm in his demon form with all that rage would be smart enough to really defeat the lord of lies? Or that any of them would get out of this alive? We’ve lost two so far how many more will fall before the world is once more safe?
Fear not though dear friends because the group isn’t finished yet and while their fight with the Devil himself is only just beginning it also seems far from the end. I love that George the Atheist is the one who still has no faith is will use logic and reason against him and this I look forward to and it also makes me sad I have to wait for that issue. Well that and the ending of this issue. Well we see Malcolm again only not like you’d expect nor with whom and the depiction is really well what I would consider historically accurate. Thank you all for this bit of humor here too because it was much needed incredibly poignant and the very last page almost seemed like something from Normal Rockwell visually, subject well that’s more Calvin than Hobbes.
Such an incredible mix of characters from different religions with such different points of view all working together in ways that just show we can. Get past your own damn ego and realize it’s our differences that make us unique and should be celebrated and while you are at it celebrate this book it’s damn good.