- THE DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE #6
- Mad Cave Studios
- Written by David Pepose
- Art by Alex Cormack
- Lettering by Justin Birch
- Edited by Christina Harrington
- Cover by Alex Cormack
- Diamond Code: MAR241777
The Curia is broken, as Legion’s corruption floods the streets of Rome. While the Vatican burns, Father Vieri must make his final stand against the demon that wears his face. Yet with his greatest weapon proven powerless against the Devil, can Vieri and Maria find another way to reclaim his body? Or will the horrifying secrets of Vieri’s past turn out to be his undoing? All that is certain is that Legion’s depravity has finally been unleashed… and it will take more than a priest to banish this terrifying demon back to Hell.
The final chapter pits Father Franco Vieri & his allies against the Biblical might of Legion. No, not the acid trip of an X-Men adjacent television show, literally the personification of evil itself fresh out of the pits of Hell. As the intensity ramps up, Mad Cave Studios and writer David Pepose continue to stretch their creative wings in new directions.
From day one, Mad Cave hasn’t been happy to stick to any one genre, with trips into high fantasy (Battlecats), Western (Savage Bastards), superhero blood sport (Hellfighter Quin), & detective noir (John Tiffany). While The Devil That Wears My Face isn’t their first step into the horror, it might be my favorite so far as it dips deep into religious lore & dogma.
For his part, David Pepose was more of the unknown quantity here. From his first comic series, Spencer & Locke, I was a fan. Continuing with indie titles like Scout’s Honor and Going to the Chapel, he’s continued to slice into classic story genres, to pick them apart and slap them back together like Victor Frankenstein… less needles & bone saws, more notepads & Word docs. Recently, since making a move into Marvel’s legendary Bullpen, Pepose’s work has seemed a little more tame, more suited to playing in someone else’s sandbox.
I reviewed the first two issues of The Devil That Wears My Face, and having started over to read the entire series start to finish, I’ll tell you this is the way to do it. If there’s a single failing in the story, it’s having to take it in single-issue instalments. It’s just the kind of comic that relies on building tension, which would be a feat and a half for anyone. Pepose does a fair job of setting breaks & cliffhangers, but for me it worked best as a whole.
Alex Cormack continues to deliver the gore, in a spectacularly unsettling fashion, leaving no body cavity unexplored, no limb unsevered. Not farting around here, folks, he’s managed to saturate the pages of this book to the point that I heard Clive Barker took a look, said, “Nope, f**k that,” and walked away. (Legal Disclaimer: At no time has ThePullbox.com been made aware of Clive Barker reading The Devil That Wears My Face, or being given a case of the heebie jeebies as a result of it).
Fans of horror in general, particularly religious-based horror, should be ready to sell their souls to get hold of this book (Legal Disclaimer: Be aware that Paul is in no way, shape, or form qualified to make this kind of judgment. Readers should always use their own discretion when considering such a sale). This story has been the best possible time, in all the worst ways imaginable.
Final Score: 12/13
