Writer: David Pepose
Art & Colors: Alex Cormack
Letters: Justin Birch
Covers: Alex Cormack; Maan House
Publisher: Mad Cave
Price: 4.99
Release Date: November 22, 2023
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read The Devil That Wears My Face #2 Review.
The Dispatch
Gore and cruelty abound in THE DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE #2. A demon has infiltrated Rome in the body of a priest. This is no slow developing horror story. The creative team go full speed ahead in this issue, advancing the disturbing story as fast as they can. It’s a very successful choice for this second issue.
The demon called Legion controls the body of Father Franco Vieri in THE DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE #2. He’s finding the life of a priest in Rome boring. To alleviate that boredom, he creates as much murderous mayhem as he can get away with. He kills people on his own. He manipulates other people to kill. And he hides in plain sight as he does it. The demon’s prior host, now occupied by the consciousness of the real Father Vieri, is repeatedly tortured by inquisitors in Spain. Despite no longer being possessed, Vieri’s body reacts to the inquisitors’ tests as though it still was–for instance, holding a crucifix burns him. Despite everything that’s done to him, he maintains his faith. Ultimately Vieri’s piety may be the only thing that can set him free.
THE DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE #2 wastes no time jumping into the deep end of demonic horror. The first issue interrupted a comparatively slow burn introduction with horror centric speedbumps. But with the demon already in Father Vieri’s body in this issue, there’s no need to slow down at any point. This issue starts at full speed, maintaining that pacing throughout while constantly ratcheting up the tension.
Pepose manages to do it while juggling the parallel stories of Demon Vieri and Santiago Vieri. Intercutting independent plot threads, even when done very well, can throw a wrench in the overall story’s pacing and interrupt tension. That’s not to say that such a thing is fatal. A minor hiccup isn’t necessarily a problem. But thrillers and horror stories rely on that tension build-up more than most other styles and genres. They thrive on the reader’s narrowing focus and building stress to keep them from thinking far enough ahead that they’ll expect what’s coming. Pepose maintains that connection with the reader throughout the issue.
As violent and gory as the scenes with Demon Vieri are, the sequences with the inquisitors and Santiago Vieri are far worse. The torture used would be disturbing enough on its own, but in Santiago Vieri’s case it works as intended. He’s essentially being hurt by the inquisitors and the demon at the same time. The story choice seems obvious, but it would have been just as easy to leave out the demon connection and rely on torture that is ultimately futile but just as dangerous for Santiago Vieri. Instead, this sets up further complications going forward if Santiago Vieri has to confront the demon in a religious setting.
Gore, Fear, And Fog
Cormack isn’t subtle when it comes to the gore in THE DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE #2. In the same way that the narrative proceeds at full speed, the art’s intensity jumps up at every opportunity. Stabbing, burning, throat cutting, flaying and disemboweling–Cormack’s art brings Pepose’s story to very gruesome life.
Gruesome is flashy, though. Much more important to the climate of fear Pepose spends the issue building is the detail Cormack brings to the characters. Much of it is a result of linework. Cormack uses relatively little heavy shading when close in on the characters. Cormack’s coloring adds extra contouring without going heavy with dark inks.
Adding to the mood created by the story are a few moments featuring fog and steam. It’s not thick or terribly opaque. The more wispy and translucent style creates extra menace. It’s a bit of a visual trope, but for good reason–it works.
Birch’s lettering is relatively straightforward save how he treats Demon Vieri. He varies the color of Demon Vieri’s dialogue bubbles and text. When depicting relatively normal interactions with other characters, Birch sticks with black text on white. Any time Demon Vieri is manipulating or killing someone, Birch changes to red text on black. It effectively emphasizes the demon’s ability to hide in plain sight while still exercising its power.
Final Thoughts
The creative team isn’t subtle here, but it lets them quickly establish the main characters’ abilities (and in Santiago Vieri’s case, some of his weaknesses) while never slowing the story’s advance. The violence is extreme and builds up the stakes for future issues. THE DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE #2 is a fast accelerating chapter in an ever more disturbing horror story.