Brian Keene, (writer) Chris Samnee, (pencils) June Chung, (colors) Joe Caramagna, (letters) Kaare Andrews, (cover and Devil Slayer character design)
“They told us in school this was where civilization started. This will probably be where it ends, too.”
This sentence alone peaked my interest in this comic. That, plus the story of a soldier fighting demons in Iraq seemed like the perfect thing for me to check out. The plot has a lot of promise, and even though it’s different from what I expected, I’m really excited to see where everything goes.
Brian Keene’s dialogue is excellent. Danny Sylva has one of the clearest voices I’ve heard in a long time. He’s bitter, jaded, and cynical and none of it feels forced or cliche. His wife left him, he couldn’t find a job, and civilian life just doesn’t cut it. Because of all that, Danny’s re-enlists for a third tour in Iraq.
Most of the book is about Danny’s return to the military and I began to wonder how or when demons would enter the story. Did we really have a book called Devil Slayer without any devil slaying? Anticipation builds for the whole book and we don’t see anything until the last page. It’s a bit frustrating, but the tease ultimately works since I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Chris Samnee’s pencils are great to see. They’re very detailed and gritty which reflects the tone very well. More importantly, it’s a very clean style. Each panel shows exactly what we need to see in the best possible way. This issue doesn’t have much gore (though I’m sure it’s coming), but what is shown has a lot of promise. It’s realistic damage which heightens the reader’s emotional response; instead of exploding bodies and guts everywhere it’s a simple exit wound and the appropriate blood-splatter. I found myself concerned even for characters I hated because it looked so real.
Devil Slayer #1, is the perfect setup for this mini-series. The choice to make the reader wait to see the demons, to commit an entire issue to Danny and his back-story works so incredibly well. Keene and Samnee compliment each other greatly, and if they can keep this up they’ve got a winner on their hands. I was expecting demons right away and now I’m glad I didn’t get it. If this sounds up your alley, or close to it, don’t miss this book. (Grade: A)
-Ben Berger
Filed under: Marvel Comics, MAX, Reviews Tagged: | Brian Keene, Chris Samnee, Dead of Night, Joe Caramagna, June Chung, Kaare Andrews, Marvel Comics, MAX, MAX Comics
