Words: David Pepose
Art: Alex Cormack
Letters: Justin Birch
Publisher: Madcave
The Devil That Wears My Face is an ambitious new project from writer David Pepose and artist Alex Cormack, coming out of Mad Cave studios earlier this month.
In the first few pages we meet renowned exorcist Father Vieri, who has been sent on a secret mission to kick a powerful demon out of the body of a nobleman’s son. In a dungeon surrounded by the mutilated bodies of previous exorcists, Vieri attempts to save the boy’s immortal soul.
This gory field day of Catholic aesthetics takes an interesting approach to the myth of the exorcist. Most of the time exorcists can be seen as almost infallible. They’ll mutter a few Latin words and the day shall be saved. This is a new approach to that story that immediately captured my attention.
Pepose’s dialogue is top notch. A struggle I’ve noticed in many first issues is the introduction to the world having to be packed into one issue, but Pepose manages to handle introducing his characters, world, and stakes in a way that never feels overbearing. Combined with Cormack’s stunning choices– his inks stand out and are complemented beautifully by his color palette, largely dark reds and blacks, which allows an absolutely riveting descent into hell– this issue starts strong and engages you immediately.
Woe if I were not to mention letterer Justin Birch, whose absolutely beautiful work shines best in his choices for the possessed boy Santiago’s speech bubbles. I am especially impressed with how much emotion is expressed in his lettering through the entire issue.
This book seems immediately pointed towards a lore-heavy, backstory-heavy story, which I personally adore. I can’t wait to learn more about these characters, from Maria (prone to seizures, whacks a demon with a chair) to Vieri himself.
Overall, The Devil That Wears My Face is an exciting, fresh look at a well-known story, and I can’t wait to see what the series still has to offer.
- The Devil That Wears My Face #1 - October 29, 2023
