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… and learns what horrors lie ahead when the Devil wears his face.
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 (Sea of Sorrows, The Crimson Cage) conjure a harrowing tale of terror, action, and body-swap intrigue that will leave comic readers at the edge of their seats.
- The Devil That Wears My Face #2
- Mad Cave Studios
- Written by David Pepose
- Illustrated by Alex Cormack
- Letters by Justin Birch
Now trapped in Santiago’s body, Father Vieri finds himself locked in the dungeon of the Castillo Lazarus — and at the sadistic mercies of the Inquisition. Yet as this exorcist now burns at the touch of the Cross, can Vieri escape before the demon Legion uses his body to paint the Vatican red? And when suspicion mounts over his new host’s changed demeanor, to what terrifying lengths will Legion go to avoid being discovered? As the Devil lurks in the Church’s most precious sanctum, no one will be prepared for what happens next — and in one bloody instant, the fate of Rome will be changed forever.
I wanted to chime in on this one, even after getting in a review on the first gore-soaked issue. I know it’s kinda cheap doing back-to-back issues like this. It’s not a thing I do very often, but after sitting down and reading the second issue, I find that I still have words…
First of all, & this is the part that makes me feel a little cheap, all that stuff I said in the first review still stands. You should totally go back and read that if you haven’t already. This is the comic that your mother (or priest, take your pick) would warn you about if they weren’t already reading it behind closed doors. Mad Cave Studios knocks it out of the park & maintains their track record of diving headfirst into any genre. How do they do it? They start with a great team…
Haaave you met David Pepose? This is a guy I’ve been following since first running across his table at a Chicago con back in 2017. He was working his insanely fantastic & deeply disturbed title, Spencer & Locke (here, check that review out too cuz if you haven’t read it yet, you should). He’s come a long way since then, working on a run of his own titles, and now breaking into Marvel’s bullpen with Savage Avengers, The Punisher, & a smattering of Moon Knight. With The Devil That Wears My Face, Pepose kicks in the door to another genre, slaps it in the face, then tosses it out into the streets until it’s learned something.
Alex Cormack matches all of the insanity, the irreverence, and the brutality, bringing it to the page like he’s mad at it. There are things happening in this book that go well beyond petty ideas like demonic possession, and Cormack brings them to life. He’s got a knack for capturing emotional content that he didn’t really have to bother with, but his characters are so expressive that the reader feels it all. I hate to go so far as to use words like fearless because that can be an overused expression when talking about art. But given that there are events in this issue that are going to trigger the easily triggered, Cormack doesn’t flinch and leaves nothing off-panel.
Finally, I have to give the nod to letterer Justin Birch & it may sound like I’m repeating myself when I do it. There are scenes of torture… whups, I mean holy inquisitors trying to open a poor sinner’s heart to the majesty of the Lord Almighty… that are made more torturous by Birch’s creative use of sound effects. Oh sure, the dialogue is well placed too, but there’s something about the way “TSSSSSSS” flows across the page that almost lets you smell the cooking meat.
Not at all for the faint of heart or people who think that the Inquisition was blown way out of proportion, The Devil That Wears My Face only has one problem going for it… That title is way too long & cumbersome to have to type out over and over again. So do me a solid and just check out this series so I don’t have to do this again. Mad Cave makes it really easy for you. The first two issues are out now, so don’t wait too long… the holidays are right around the corner!
Final Score: 13/13
