Devil’s Due Comics 2020
Created & Written by Josh Blaylock
Illustrated by Travis Hymel
Coloured by Jasen Smith
Lettered by Micah Myers
Launching an all new "Archeopunk" genre! When a discovery turns our understanding of history upside down, we meet a couple who abruptly find themselves swept-up in a deep state conspiracy that threatens their world. Only, the year is 11,000 BCE, and their advanced world was nothing like we have been told. Nor does our couple know the role they will play in the survival of society's knowledge in the years to come.
I read a lot of books thanks to my website but this is a first even for me. A brand new genre has been created and leave it to Josh to be the one to do it. I do have to say that the idea behind the story is one that I’ve wanted to visit in comics. The idea that there were civilisations that rose and fell before the current version of mankind came to prominence is long and storied and of course the most famous example of this is the city of Atlantis. So with a new twist on classic thinking we are treated to something exciting, fresh and what we need right now.
I like the way that this is being told in such a traditionally non-traditional manner. There is the requeate then & now storytelling technique yes but it certainly doesn’t feel like what we are used to seeing. We talk about iconic, classic and timeless in comics and sometimes originality that really sums up some work we see but there is something here that sets this apart from all that. Call it gut instinct or whatnot but I have been around a long time and doing this for a long time as well and I can say with 100% honesty that this doesn’t feel quite like anything else that I have read before, making this a true original.
How we see the story & plot development always moving forward thanks to how we see the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is laid out exceptionally well. Not going to lie but it did take me more than a single readthrough to fully get the grasp of what I was reading which for me shows the intelligence behind the writing of the story and I appreciate that. The character development is interesting and I am enjoying the opportunity in getting to know these characters. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, the world’s in play and the general idea here it is easy to see how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow.
The interiors here are pretty solid. They definitely come across as classic almost 80’s style in appearance and honestly I like it. There are more than a few standout moments within these pages, like seeing the roots being pulled out or that look at the stone(?) chair with the different techniques being utilised to give that aged appearance are two examples. We all know that I am a huge proponent of seeing background utilised and that blank white backgrounds irk me to no end, unless it is specifically called for, that world map for instance. So I wish we’ll see fewer moments of nothingness and more moments that expand the scene because when we do see them they are pretty spectacular. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong eye for storytelling. The colour work is nice to see as well. I wouldn’t mind more variation in colour being utilised instead of a solid colour packed in but the way we see the colour blocking with the various hues and tones to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is well rendered.
Devil’s Due quietly, all too quietly, puts out some really good, strong and interesting books. It would be nice to see those showcased more and receive the attention they deserve.