Advance Review: All Hell Breaks Out Visually In ‘The Devil That Wears My Face’ #2
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
After reading this issue, it will be difficult to forget some of the visuals. Most aren’t gory – though one is over the top – yet they demonstrate how far some are willing to go in the name of God.
Overall
8.5/10The Spanish Inquisition was not known for its subtlety in trying to drive out demons. While that was unfortunate for anyone accused by the Roman Catholic Church, it does make for a good – if somewhat gruesome – story in modern times.
With the Inquisition as a backdrop in the latest issue of The Devil That Wears My Face, artist Alex Cormack has plenty of disturbing imagery to depict – from a near drowning to leeching to old-fashioned throttling. Add to that a priest in the body of a possessed man whose skin boils off his body when he prays. Throw in the threat of trepanation – drilling a hole in the head of the accused – and you have the makings of visually disturbing issue.
Credit Cormack for making most of the illustrations disturbing but not gory to the point of revulsion. They are not for the faint of heart, to be sure, but he thankfully never crosses the line into torture porn. Throw in the fact that all of this is supposedly being done in the name of God, and the acts that he shows are that much more disturbing.
Meanwhile in the Vatican, the actual demon Legion – who has stolen the young priest’s body – is terrorizing Rome. No one is beyond his power, not even the princes of the church. That gives Cormack even more to chew on, including showing the evil one walk on ceilings and slither into the night. That’s when Cormack does cross the line into out-and-out gore. Suffice it to say that the page features plenty of internal organs that are no longer internal.
While beyond disturbing, the half-page splash is in service to writer David Pepose’s story. That plot is moving along at a brisk pace which, with the illustrations, should keep readers glued to the page.
Regardless of how you feel about the Catholic Church, this issue will make you think about the lengths some will go to while invoking God’s name. It’s a conversation worth having – and a story worth reading.
The Devil That Wears My Face #2 will be available for purchase on November 22, 2023.
