Spotlight: The Devil That Wears My Face
Spotlight: The Devil That Wears My Face
From Mad Cave Studios
With issue #6 of The Devil That Wears My Face out now from Mad Cave Studios, we get to breathe and look at the 6-issue arc of hell, heaven and in between…
The year is 1740, and the Vatican is in turmoil. Grappling with a profound crisis of faith, outcast exorcist Father Franco Vieri is dispatched on a mission of grave importance — to rescue a Spanish nobleman from the clutches of the sadistic demon known as Legion. But when the exorcism goes tragically wrong, Vieri finds himself trapped in a stranger’s body… Equal parts Face/Off and The Exorcist, Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose (Moon Knight: City of the Dead, Savage Avengers) and Bram Stoker Award-nominated artist Alex Cormack conjure a harrowing tale of terror.
With issue #6 out now and wrapping up the story, we can relax and look back on what has been an intense read of The Devil That Wears My Face from Mad Cave Studios.
What has happened in the six issues surely leaves no time to breathe, with the frantic pace of the story, the battles and pure demonic hell being cast from every direction and straight at you. This is a credit to both the writing and the art, as this feels like an action thriller from John Woo.
The mention of John Woo is no accident. If you are a fan of that sort of action and you enjoyed Face/Off, then that is a good mindset to start you off. Of course, this would be a fantastic movie with a big budget, but I could also understand many people getting upset.
The story over the six issues has some amazingly built-up moments. Vieri is an interesting character with his own mental demons to deal with1, as well as the very physical manifestation of the demon who wears his face. Vieri makes an interesting foil, with knowledge and some power, but also an exciting set of weaknesses that are now unique and problematic to him. This bypasses a method that would have cleverly made this considerably shorter story.
The whole cast of characters also builds up the story well. You are never sure of what fate some of them will have, and there are the internal politics of the Vatican to contend with—all bringing you deeper into the story.
The demon, Legion, is clever and also extremely demonic. He seems to relish what he is doing and has some smarts that make him an excellent foil. This demon has many of the deadly sins.
Art-wise, it is incredible. An absolute orgy of colour and detail with some harrowing scenes and some graphic battles on this plane and in the realm of hell below. There is some excellent use of angles, colour and panelling, especially with some of the big reveals we get throughout.
The series ends, and there is a cheeky wink to the reader and a ‘?’. Will we see more of these characters? I hope so!
Read it now on GlobalComix:
No spoilers for the big reveal in issue #6 - you’ll have to check it out, and you will kick yourself for not thinking about it!