
Boom! Studios 2016
Created by Kurt Sutter
Written by Kurt Sutter & Caitlin Kittredge
Illustrated by Jesus Hervas
Coloured by Adam Metcalfe
Lettered by Jim Campbell
There’s a freshness to the idea behind all this that while familiar is new and different. Lucas was at his wits end and tried to end his own life only to have that attempt intervened with by the Devil himself who wanted him, with his special skill set, to be an agent for him. Wishing to live he takes him up on that offer.
So this issue we get to see more about the conversation between Lucas and the Devil and this kind of serves to flesh out the deal and their characters more. I like that Lucas and by extension the reader is less clear on what’s really going on here and that being the newbie is learning on the fly. It adds to the drama of who to trust more and while Gadrel’s informants, humans in a fixed point in time who know the score, seem to know more than Lucas it’s the learning curve that i’m enjoying discovering alongside him.
The time travel aspect of this series is another element i’m looking forward to seeing explored as the story continues. From Nazi occupied France to the present to where he ends up at the end of the story Lucas’ knowledge of history is going to be put to the test and i’m not sure he’ll pass with flying colours. Still an honest, harsh look at what goes on during these time periods and how Gadrel and his opposing force work in these times is just as fascinating.
Jesus and Adam do a great job on the interiors here. I like the interpretation of the devil and the demons that need killing. The characters themselves have a nice quality to them that keeps the series darker and more on track with the subject matter. The way the book flows through the pages and panels is nicely done. There’s enough attention to detail that people and things are easily identifiable and yet there’s also a nice amount of freedom to use the reader’s imagination to flesh the rest out. That first look at the abandoned place Simon takes them to has this eerie majestic quality to it and it’s a stand out moment.
Is this a story of redemption or just a case of Lucas being used for what he’s both capable of and that in the grand scheme of things does he matter that little? There’s a nice amount of openness in that so as we learn more about him and his personality continues to grow and evolve that we’ll see where he’s heading.
Balancing the forces in the world is never easy and should one side or the other gain a stronger foothold well then everything’s off balance and it seems that Lucas has found himself a new mission. Who and what to believe is what he’s learning along the way and we’ll see just what role he will ultimately play in the grand scheme of things because with his ever questioning and growing conscious nothing is ever as easy as it seems.