What does God need with a Deviler?
Creative Staff:
Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art: Matt Triano
Color: Mark Roberts
Letters: Simon Bowland
What They Say:
A Deviler DIES RIGHT HERE! As the true villain is revealed, and, the supposed King of Hell is deposed, the Devilers face their worst nightmare, a world too far gone to be saved.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Here’s my impression of me meeting God: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”
The Devilers met God the last issue and not one of them freaked out. Maybe it’s just me, but if I met God, I would experience more than a mild sense of wonderment. The Devilers were as stoic as Minnesotans when it came to meeting the creator/caretaker of the entire Universe. God fills them in on what has been happening in Hell and why demons have invaded the Earth, and we also learn the history of Samir Vasmani, who has really been more of a background character than strong member of the team.
There are two specific, interrelated problems with this issue, and there is no way to discuss them without entering spoiler country, so consider yourself warned. The first problem is less specific to this work and more just a problem in general when writing God: he (in this case God is presented as a man) is never Godlike. Sure, God has power and presence, but he comes off as just a more powerful human. There is no majesty, no mystery, no awe. Jason Aaron does a far better job of making Odin Godlike in his run on Thor (“I am the will and the wrath and the wonder”). This may sound like a facile comparison, but God in this case reminds me of the Jedis in the Star Wars prequels: for years we heard about this amazing, mystical warrior sect, but once we finally meet them, they never lived up to the image we created in our mind.
It may be that this is what Fialkov intended, but if it is, then the purpose is unclear. This goes back to what I mentioned in my previous review: there is no discernable premise in this story (or theme, if you prefer). The story is entirely on the surface with no insight into human nature or existence at all (a little ironic considering the cosmic forces that the series plays with). The ideas being bandied about are fun, but they don’t come together to make anything. This is like eating chocolates all afternoon—fun at first, but after a while you’re going to need some real food.
The second problem is even more spoilerific, so consider yourself thricely warned. It turns out that Samir was killed before he even became a Deviler and is now the Anti-Christ in disguise, complete with the 666 birthmark. Rabbi Brenda sees this with her ability to “see patterns in evil” but only at the end of the issue. This is problematic because Samir/Damien stood in God’s presence and God either didn’t recognize him or chose to do nothing. It’s also problematic because it rewrites Brenda’s already vague power, making it work and fail when it’s most convenient to the story. To return to the Star Wars metaphor, if God is the Jedi and the Devil the Sith, then the Devil is far more competent, effective, and powerful. I’m surprised that the Devilers don’t just quit after they meet the big man.
Moving on to the art, there were a few places where Triano’s work looks awkward, almost as if he were adopting someone else’s style. In fact, I thought that the first page was drawn by a different artist, and I went back to the credits to see if that was the case. It smooths out for the most part, but it does make for an inconsistent experience.
In Summary:
The Devilers have three more issues to turn this story around, and I’m not sure that it’s going to happen. While the writing and art are technically proficient, there’s no sense of premise or purpose, there is no sense of awe or mystery in a plot that should be replete with it, and it makes God look like a chump. If there were a reason for that, it would be fine, but there’s not one that I can see, making this feel rather arbitrary and unfulfilling. Not recommended.
Grade: C+
Age Rating: N/A, but definitely not for kids.
Released By: Dynamite
Release Date: 15 October 2014
MSRP: $2.99
